Tomato spotted wilt-like virus on watermelon in Taiwan
In Taiwan, an unusual disease of watermelon was found expressing the symptoms of leaf crinkling, mottling, yellow spotting, short internodes, upright growth of younger branches and tip necrosis.
Serological tests by ELISA and western blotting with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies revealed that the causal agent is a tospovirus, serologically related to tomato spotted wilt tospovirus (TSWV) (candidate EPPO A2 organism) which causes silver mottle on watermelon in Okinawa (JP), but not to the lettuce, tomato and amaryllis isolates of TSWV from other countries.
Cucurbits were systemically infected by the virus which is vectored by Thrips palmi (EPPO A1 pest).
Sources
Yeh, S.-D.; Lin, Y.-C.; Jh, C.-L.; Chen, M.-J.; Chen, C.-C. (1992) Identification of tomato spotted wilt-like virus on watermelon in Taiwan.
Plant Disease 76, 835-840.