How do leafhoppers spread curly top virus from weeds to sugar beets?

The beet leafhopper (Circulifer tenellus) acts as the primary vector for the curly top virus, facilitating its transmission from wild host plants to sugar beets.12

The cycle begins in desert or wild areas, where the leafhoppers overwinter and breed on various weeds, such as saltbrush and Russian thistle, which serve as reservoirs for the virus. During the spring, as these wild plants become less favorable for feeding due to environmental factors like reduced succulence, the leafhoppers migrate to more suitable cultivated crops, including sugar beets.234

As the insects feed on the infected weeds, they acquire the virus and subsequently transmit it to the sugar beets during their migration. Because these leafhoppers are highly mobile, they can effectively spread the disease across large areas, making the eradication of susceptible weed hosts a critical component of disease management.23