Faunistic analysis of sharpshooters (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadellidae) in a 'Westin' sweet orange orchard

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze sharpshooter fauna in a five-year-old 'Westin' sweet orange orchard. Yellow sticky traps were placed on the edge of a forest, and on the periphery and inside the citrus stand. The traps were evaluated fortnightly, for three years. The most frequent species were Acrogonia citrina Marucci & Cavichioli, Bucephalogonia xanthophis (Berg), and Oncometopia facialis (Signoret). B. xanthophis occurred more in the forest edge, especially on spring and winter. A. citrina occurred most frequently in the forest edge, especially on spring. The highest incidence of O. facialis was inside the citrus stand, on spring and summer. Other cicadellids occurred more often in the forest edge, especially on summer. A. citrina, B. xanthophis, Dilobopterus costalimai Young, and O. facialis were predominant in all places studied. A. citrina, B. xanthophis and O. facialis were super dominant, super abundant, super frequent, and constant, except inside the stand, where B. xanthophis was dominant, very abundant, very frequent, and constant. D. costalimai and Homalodisca ignorata Melichar were dominant, very abundant, and very frequent in the forest edge and in the periphery of the stand, and D. costalimai was also predominant inside the stand. Scopogonalia subolivacea (Stål) was predominant in the forest edge and inside the stand, while Plesiommata corniculata Young was predominant in the periphery (both were dominant, very abundant, very frequent, and accessory).