Biology of Cicadulina bipunctella zeae China in Giza, Egypt (Homoptera, Cicadellidae)

Abstract

Biology of Cicadulina bipunctella zeae China was studied in the glasshouse in Giza, Egypt. Nymphs were reared on maize leafpieces and adults were reared on growing barley seedlings. Mean incubation period of eggs was 16.6 ± 0.1 days at 17–26 °C, and 10.1 ± 0.15 days at 23–33 °C. Nymphal stage was completed in 14.5 days by males and in 15.3 days by females, at 22–32 °C. At this temperature, the five nymphal instars were completed in 3.3, 2.6, 2.3, 3.0 and 4.0 days, respectively. At 23–32 °C, sexual maturity of males and females occurred two and three days, respectively, after adult emergence. At 24–32 °C, mean adult longevity was 19.1 and 44.3 days, for males and females respectively (P < 0.001), and mean pre-oviposition period of females was 5.9 days. Females produced 8–331 eggs/female/life (average = 196.3 eggs); hatchability was 85% in eggs produced by 5–15 day-old females and 65% in eggs produced by 38–49 day-old ones. Moulting and oviposition sites and egg aggregation in host plants are described. Eight generations of C. bipunctella zeae were reared on barley seedlings in the glasshouse, within a period of one year and six days. The shortest generation occurred in June—July (22–35 °C), lasting for 26 days, and the longest occurred in November—February (6–24 °C), lasting for 122 days.