Which insects transmit viruses and bacteria in plants while feeding?

• A. Aphids
• B. Beetles
• C. Moths
• D. Scale

Answer: (A)

Insects that feed by piercing and sucking plant tissue often act as disease vectors, spreading viruses as they move from plant to plant. Aphids fit this role especially well because they insert their slender mouthparts into the phloem to suck sap and can contact many plants in a short time. While feeding, they can pick up virus particles from an infected plant and transmit them to healthy ones, making them effective spreaders of plant viruses (and related pathogens). The other insects listed—beetles, moths, and scale—do not typically transmit viruses while feeding; they either chew leaves or are slow or less capable of moving pathogens between plants, so they are not the common vectors in this context.