Biology

Carlavirus fagi has been detected in the urban forest, as well as in natural and commercial forests. Most carlavirus species are transmitted naturally by aphids in a non-persistent manner; cowpea mild mottle virus is transmitted by whiteflies (Bemisia tabaci), pea streak virus, red clover vein mosaic virus and cowpea mild mottle virus are seedborne in their leguminous hosts. All carlaviruses are mechanically transmissible; some (e.g. carnation latent virus and Passiflora latent virus) are sufficiently infectious to be so transmitted this way in the field (ICTV, 2023). Nevertheless, mechanical inoculation of carlavirus fagi on Nicotiana benthamiana, Chenopodium amaranticolor and C. quinoa was not successful.