Role of Winter Host Plants in Vineyard Colonization and Phenology of Zygina rhamni (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae)

• Published in: Annals of the Entomological Society of America Vol. 101; no. 6; pp. 1003 - 1009
• Main Authors: Mazzoni, V, Anfora, G, Ioriatti, C, Lucchi, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lanham, MD Entomological Society of America 01-11-2008
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cicadellidae; ECOLOGY AND POPULATION BIOLOGY; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hemiptera; heteroecious life cycle; heteroecy; host plants; Insecta; Invertebrates; leafhoppers; life cycle (organisms); overwintering; overwintering strategy; oviposition sites; phenology; plant density; population dynamics; Rosa chinensis; Rubus; Rubus gr. fruticosus; Rubus plicatus; Systematics. Geographical distribution; vineyards; Vitaceae; Vitis vinifera; Zygina; Italy; Rosa chinensis; Insecta; Overwintering; Rosaceae; Rubus; leafhoppers; Rosa; Vitis vinifera; Homoptera; Winter; Vitidaceae; Dicotyledones; Host plant; Angiospermae; Woody plant; Cicadomorpha; Rubus gr.fruticosus; Fruit crop; Phenology; Arthropoda; Flower crop; Strategy; Spermatophyta; overwintering strategy; Invertebrata; Cicadellidae; Colonization
• ISSN: 0013-8746; 1938-2901
• DOI: 10.1603/0013-8746-101.6.1003

Zygina rhamni Ferrari (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae) is a mesophyll-feeding leafhopper that infests grapevine, Vitis vinifera L. This leafhopper’s overwintering strategy and the dynamics of its vineyard colonization, relative to the distance between the grapevines and the winter host plants and different grapevine vegetative densities, are described herein. This species shows a facultative heteroecious life cycle. In autumn, it migrates from vineyards to bramble, Rubus gr. fruticosus, and rose, Rosa chinensis Jacquin. On these host plants, females lay eggs that start to hatch at the end of March. Adults that developed on bramble colonize grapevines beginning in May; the leaf fall of rose, which takes place during the first half of April, probably causes the death of unhatched eggs and nymphs. We found that overwintering females can move back to vineyards and lay eggs until early June. The dynamics of vineyard colonization by the leafhopper involved initial concentration in areas close to bramble (May–early July) with subsequent, progressive spread through the vineyards, with concentration in areas of high vegetative density. Leafhopper presence was negligible in areas of vineyards with levels of vegetative density below a certain threshold.