Abstract

Two begomoviruses, Abutilon mosaic virus (AbMV) and Honeysuckle yellow vein virus (HYVV), are reported from New Zealand for the first time. AbMV was detected in variegated Abutilon spp. using a begomovirus-specific ELISA and a PCR designed to amplify a core coat protein fragment (~575 bp) of begomoviruses. HYVV was not detected using these assays but a 118 bp fragment was amplified from Lonicera japonica, showing yellow vein symptoms, using primers specific to the HYVV coat protein gene.