Dataset for Morph- and density-dependent transmission of Beet Yellows Virus by Myzus persicae and Aphis fabae aphids

The economically significant Beet yellows virus (BYV) negatively affects sugar beet yields. For the past 30 years, effective control of BYV relied on neonicotinoid insecticides. However, the European Union's ban on outdoor use of these insecticides since 2018, driven by concerns over biodiversity and human health, led to widespread losses in the sugar beet industry due to virus outbreaks. The main vectors of this virus are the green peach aphid (Myzus persicae) and the black bean aphid (Aphis fabae). Understanding the virus-vector relationship is crucial for developing new control methods. To address this, our study investigates viral transmission efficiency in sugar beet plants depending on aphid density, species, and morphs (winged/apterous) in laboratory and greenhouse conditions. Laboratory experiments assessed virus transmission from an infected plant to a vector and from a vector to a healthy plant, while greenhouse experiments observed viral transmission changes when both vector species coexisted on the same infected plants simultaneously (i.e. by analogy to the fields). In the laboratory experiment, the best vector of BYV at low density was the winged morphs of M. persicae with a 25% transmission probability after three weeks with only three viruliferous aphids present. In the greenhouse experiment, a significantly higher transmission probability was observed at early infestation stage when both vector species were present at the same time on the same patch. This study provides valuable insights into how aphid species, density, and morphs may together affect the transmission of the virus, setting foundation for future studies on virus control.具有重要经济影响的甜菜黄化病毒（Beet yellows virus, BYV）会对甜菜产量造成显著负面影响。过去三十年间，对该病毒的有效防控依赖于新烟碱类杀虫剂。然而，出于对生物多样性与人类健康的担忧，欧盟自2018年起禁止此类杀虫剂在户外使用，由此引发的病毒暴发导致甜菜产业遭受大范围损失。该病毒的主要传播媒介为桃蚜（Myzus persicae）与豆蚜（Aphis fabae）。明确病毒与媒介昆虫的互作关系，是开发新型防控手段的核心前提。为解决这一行业痛点，本研究在实验室与温室环境下，探究蚜虫密度、物种及翅型（有翅/无翅型）对甜菜植株病毒传播效率的影响。实验室实验分别评估了病毒从染病植株向媒介昆虫、以及从媒介昆虫向健康植株的双向传播情况；温室实验则模拟田间真实场景，观测当两种媒介昆虫同时共存于同一染病植株斑块时的病毒传播动态变化。实验室实验结果表明，在低密度条件下，甜菜黄化病毒的最优传播媒介为桃蚜的有翅型：当仅存在3头带毒蚜虫时，三周后病毒传播概率可达25%。温室实验中，当两种媒介昆虫于同一寄主斑块上完成早期侵染时，观测到显著更高的病毒传播概率。本研究揭示了蚜虫物种、密度与翅型如何共同调控病毒传播，为后续开展病毒防控相关研究提供了重要理论参考与研究基础。