Seasonal trends in lethal bronzing phytoplasma infections from Florida, U.S.A. and its relationship to population phenology of <i>Haplaxius crudus</i>

Lethal bronzing (LB) disease is a devastating phytoplasma disease that affects over 20 palm species. The disease is widespread in the state of Florida and causing significant economic losses to a variety of stakeholders that include nurseries, landscape companies, private homeowners, local municipalities and the state government. To aid stakeholders in managing LB on properties, palm samples are screened routinely for phytoplasma at the University of Florida Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center (FLREC). While the priority of these data are to aid stakeholders, they also serve as a useful data collection tool that allow to better understand the epidemiology of the disease. In this study, data from 2017 to 2024 is assessed to better understand seasonal trends in new infections, especially in the context of vector populations. Over the period of eight years, a distinct seasonal trend is observed in number of positive detections of LB with the majority of positives occurring from January to May, significantly dropping from June to December. Populations of the vector were monitored and displayed peak activity in September. The relationship observed supports the observations of a four to eight month latent period where new infections begin to appear approximately four to eight months after peak vector activity. These data provide value insights into the epidemiology of LB in Florida and allow for a more precise timing of monitoring and management efforts.