Phenology, Seasonal Abundance, and Host-Plant Association of Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) in Vineyards of Northwestern Italy.

ABSTRACT: Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae) are the vectors of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa (Xf) in Europe. Xf may cause severe epidemics in cultivated plants, including grapevines. To assess the threat represented by the bacterium to grapevines, detailed information on the vectors' phenology, density, and ecology in vineyards is needed. The aim of the present work was to describe spittlebug diversity, phenology, and host-plant association in the vineyard agroecosystem. Two separate field surveys of nymphal and adult spittlebug populations, i.e., a two-year survey of a single site and a one-year survey of three sites, were performed in vineyards of northwestern Italy in three consecutive years. Philaenus spumarius was the most common species, reaching average nym

SUBMITTER: Bodino N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8624594 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature