Detection of the Red-Streaked Leafhopper,Balclutha rubrostriata(Melichor) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), on an Invasive Grass Species in Oklahoma

Abstract

The invasive red-streaked leafhopper, Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), was previously reported in Central Texas and Louisiana. Collected primarily on the introduced grass King Ranch bluestem, Bothriochloa ischaemum (L.) Keng var. songarica, which occurs throughout Oklahoma and in the Tallgrass Prairie, the red-streaked leafhopper threatens native grassland ecosystems because it could potentially disrupt established invertebrate assemblages. To determine if the species moved north into Oklahoma, patches of King Ranch bluestem along roadways in central Oklahoma were swept in November 2013, and captured individuals resembling the red-streaked leafhopper were preserved in 95% ethanol at -20°C for subsequent identification. Samples from McClain and Payne counties in Oklahoma contained individuals identified as the red-streaked leafhopper by morphological characteristics of the genitalia. Genomic DNA was extracted from the red-streaked leafhoppers and from a panel of field-collected leafhopper species. Novel species-specific primers amplified a 570- bp fragment of the mtCOI gene of the red-streaked leafhopper only. Sequencing of the PCR amplicons confirmed the morphological identifications. Few red-streaked leafhoppers were collected at two of the three sampling areas in 2013. Sampling efforts were expanded in 2014 to more regions of Oklahoma including the Tallgrass Prairie resulting in eight more locations with the red-streaked leafhopper. This report constitutes the first evidence of the leafhopper in Oklahoma as far north as Osage County in the Tallgrass Prairie Preserve and includes the development of novel PCR primers for specific identification of the red-streaked leafhopper. Potential ecological impacts of this invasive species on native grassland leafhoppers are discussed.