Articles
Seasonal phenology of leafhopper species in Wisconsin cranberry and density-dependent feeding injury from leafhoppers on cranberry vines
Article number
1440_27
Pages
193 – 198
Language
English
Abstract
The blunt-nosed leafhopper, Limotettix vaccinii (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is native to North America and has been considered the primary vector of the phytoplasma that causes false blossom disease in cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon Aiton). In recent years, L. vaccinii and false blossom disease have re-emerged in Wisconsin and are causes of great concern to cranberry growers.
In this study, we investigated 1) the seasonal phenology of L. vaccinii and the species composition of leafhoppers in WI cranberry, and 2) the impact of feeding injury on vines.
We sampled leafhoppers weekly over two 20-m transect lines with sweep nets from early May until the end of August 2021 at six cranberry marshes with leafhopper presence and conducted a feeding assay using cranberry uprights enclosed with 0, 5, 10, or 20 leafhopper nymphs.
The first leafhopper nymphs were detected in the third week of May and adults were first detected in the fourth week of June, peaking in the second week of July, and were last caught in the second week of August.
Over 80% of all leafhopper adults collected were L. vaccinii and, though nymphs could not be identified to species morphologically, we suspect that the vast majority of nymphs in early summer were L. vaccinii. Feeding assays suggest that feeding injury increases with leafhopper densities and symptoms continue developing at least one week after insects were removed.
These results provide a better understanding of the leafhopper species present in Wisconsin cranberries and will help inform the timing of management practices for this important disease vector.
In this study, we investigated 1) the seasonal phenology of L. vaccinii and the species composition of leafhoppers in WI cranberry, and 2) the impact of feeding injury on vines.
We sampled leafhoppers weekly over two 20-m transect lines with sweep nets from early May until the end of August 2021 at six cranberry marshes with leafhopper presence and conducted a feeding assay using cranberry uprights enclosed with 0, 5, 10, or 20 leafhopper nymphs.
The first leafhopper nymphs were detected in the third week of May and adults were first detected in the fourth week of June, peaking in the second week of July, and were last caught in the second week of August.
Over 80% of all leafhopper adults collected were L. vaccinii and, though nymphs could not be identified to species morphologically, we suspect that the vast majority of nymphs in early summer were L. vaccinii. Feeding assays suggest that feeding injury increases with leafhopper densities and symptoms continue developing at least one week after insects were removed.
These results provide a better understanding of the leafhopper species present in Wisconsin cranberries and will help inform the timing of management practices for this important disease vector.
Publication
Authors
C. Trickle, C. Sweet, L. Holland, C. Guédot
Keywords
blunt-nosed leafhopper, Limotettix vaccinii, plant-disease vector, feeding injury, phytoplasma, life stages
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