First record of Erasmoneura vulnerata Fitch, 1851 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae) in Switzerland

Attilio Rizzoli,Marco Conedera,Riccardo Battelli,Mauro Jermini

doi:10.3897/alpento.4.53967

Abstract

The first record of Erasmoneura vulnerata Fitch, 1851 in Switzerland is reported. Specimens were collected in 2019 using yellow sticky traps during a Scaphoideus titanus monitoring campaign in vineyards in Ticino (Southern Switzerland). E. vulnerata is a grapevine pest that has recently been introduced to Europe, whose phytophagy causes detrimental damage to grapevine leaves. Its occurrence in this area has likely been favored by the ongoing suspension of insecticide treatments for the control of the S. titanus population, the vector agent of the “Flavescence dorée” phytoplasma in grapevines.

Highlights

E. vulnerata was first described as a significant grapevine pest by Robinson (1926) and Beamer (1946) and is considered to be a prominent species among the many leafhoppers associated with grapevines (Martinson and Denney 1995; Paxton and Thorvilson 1996)
E. vulnerata has a very low occurrence rate in the surveyed Italian vineyards treated with insecticides against Scaphoideus titanus Ball, 1932, the main vector of Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis responsible for the quarantine disease “Flavescence dorée” (Chuche and Thiéry 2014; Duso et al 2019; OSalV-DEFR-DATEC 2019)
This led Duso et al (2019) to categorize this species as a secondary grapevine pest in North-Italian commercial vineyards, where insecticides are commonly used for the mandatory control of S. titanus

Summary

Introduction

E. vulnerata has a very low occurrence rate in the surveyed Italian vineyards treated with insecticides against Scaphoideus titanus Ball, 1932, the main vector of Candidatus Phytoplasma vitis responsible for the quarantine disease “Flavescence dorée” (Chuche and Thiéry 2014; Duso et al 2019; OSalV-DEFR-DATEC 2019). This led Duso et al (2019) to categorize this species as a secondary grapevine pest in North-Italian commercial vineyards, where insecticides are commonly used for the mandatory control of S. titanus. The finding took place during a monitoring campaign of the vectoring agent of the grapevine “Flavescence dorée” phytoplasma, S. titanus

Materials and methods

Results

Discussion