First Infestation of an Exotic Crops Pest, Amrasca biguttula on Cotton Gossypium hirsutum L. in North Cameroon

Abstract

Cotton is a cash crop that actively contributes to the socio-economic development of the entire northern region of Cameroon. However, the production of this crop faces many constraints, including the pressure of bio-aggressors that cause significant damage and generate considerable losses for many producers. Amrasca biguttula is a feeding pest that was first reported in 2022 in a leafhopper sample collected in Djalingo, Benoue department, North region. The attacks of this atypical pest caused major damage on several cotton fields during the 2023 crop year. As a result, several other outbreaks have been reported throughout most of the cotton zone. Adults average 2.82±0.16 mm in length and are green, with two black dots near the tip of the forewing. Leafhopper samples collected at several sites showed the presence of Amrasca biguttula and this species alone represented 22% to 84% of the diversity of leafhopper populations on cotton. The month of August seems to be the propitious time for the invasion of this new species, because it is during this period that it was mainly represented in the different leafhopper samples collected.