The prevention of feeding (starvation) prior to an acquisition access period (AAP) is believed to increase the rate of virus transmission by aphids for non-circulative viruses. To further investigate this ‘starvation’ effect we evaluated the effect on a range of non-circulative viruses and their aphid vectors including Cauliflower mosaic virus (CaMV), Cucumber mosaic virus (CMV) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV) by common vector species for each. Aphids of Aphis gossypii, Myzus persicae and Acyrthosiphon pisum were subjected to a one to two hour pre-acquisition starvation period before a short (15-30 second) AAP, which was observed by dissecting scope to confirm feeding. These results indicated that transmission was significantly increased for each virus species by one or more of the aphid vectors; however not in all cases was this effect seen. For instance, CMV transmission was significantly higher with starved M. persicae but not with starved A. gossypii, while ZYMV transmission was higher with starved A. gossypii but not M. persicae. When aphids were instead subjected to a diet of 15% sucrose for 8-12hrs prior to an AAP the rate of transmission was essentially the same for both starved and unstarved aphids, as previously found. Finally parameters of aphid feeding behavior were monitored visually in aphids under each condition, and aphids subjected to a diet of sucrose prior to acquisition behaved similar to those starved for 1 hour. These results suggest that the effect of starvation may be caused by differences in feeding behavior, and not only from components of plant sap, as was previously suggested.