Query: NC_007984:221030 Baumannia cicadellinicola str. Hc (Homalodisca coagulata), complete
Lineage: Baumannia cicadellinicola; Baumannia; Enterobacteriaceae; Enterobacteriales; Proteobacteria; Bacteria
General Information: This newly discovered organism is an obligate endosymbiont of the leafhopper insect Homalodisca coagulata (Say), also known as the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter, which feeds on the xylem of plants. The insect causes devastation to grape crops and may affect other grasses as it is a vector for the bacterial pathogen, Xylella fastidiosa, which can cause disease in grapevines. Leafhopper insect endosymbiont. Baumannia cicadellinicola is found within bacteriomes, specialized organs in sharpshooter leafhoppers (Cicadellinae), and is transmitted vertically from female to offspring. This bacterium is found within a red-pigmented bacteriome within the host. The bacteria-insect relationship is one of nutritional co-dependence: the bacteria provide important metabolites for the insect's nutritional requirements, and in turn receive a safe environment and metabolites from the insect.