Plant viruses cause significant damage in terms of reduction in quality and quantity of yield in a wide range of crop plants worldwide. The majority of plant viruses are transmitted from one host plant to another by insect vectors. Although viruses are obligate, intracellular parasites their relationship with the insect vector varies from parasitism to mutualism. The central question of my research program is to understand  ‘how plant viruses affect biology and ecology of their insect vectors? and (2) what plant and/or insect responses mediate plant-virus -vector interactions?’ To identify molecular and ecological parameters that mediate plant-vector-virus interactions, I am investigating two virus-vector systems. Tomato spotted wilt virus (TSWV), one of the ten most devastating plant viruses worldwide is transmitted by Frankliniella occidentalis (western flower thrips), the primary insect vector of TSWV, and Soybean vein necrosis virus (SVNV), a new emerging soybean virus transmitted by Neohydatothrips variabilis (soybean thrips).