Abstract
The leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are a group of insects that suck sap from vascular plants. The host plants of most species of Cicadellidae are unknown, but some species are known to have a wide range of food plants, while others are host plant specific. The aim of this study was to record the food and host plants for leafhoppers in a Neotropical rainforest. The study area was located in the lowland forests of Panama Province (Central Panama) in two National Parks. Sampling was done in the undergrowth, canopy and emergent strata to collect the cicadellids feeding on the trees, shrubs, seedlings, and vines there. We collected 118 cicadellid adult representing 24 species, 21 genera, and six subfamilies, which fed on 49 species of plants, belonging to 31 families. The subfamily with the largest number of species was the Cicadellinae with 11, while the plant family with the most species was the Fabaceae with five species, and the favorite plant was Anacardium excelsum, which hosted six cicadellid species and 10 individuals. According to estimates by Shannon Weiner, leafhopper communities are more diverse on trees than on shrubs, vines, or grasses.
Highlights
IntroductionFor most species of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae), host plants are unknown (Freytag & Sharkey 2002)
For most species of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae), host plants are unknown (Freytag & Sharkey 2002). Among those for which host plants are known, some species have a wide range of food plants while others are host specific, and usually they are restricted to definite plant species or genera (Lamp et al 1994)
Most studies on the relationships between Cicadellidae and plants have focused on pests that attack economically important plants (Poos & Wheeler 1943, DeLong 1948, Purcell 1976, Zanol & de Menezes 1982), distribution of eggs on plant species (Miller & Hibbs 1963), plant species tested as alternate hosts (Claridge et al 1977), leafhoppers that alternate between hosts (Claridge & Wilson 1978)
Summary
For most species of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae), host plants are unknown (Freytag & Sharkey 2002). Among those for which host plants are known, some species have a wide range of food plants while others are host specific, and usually they are restricted to definite plant species or genera (Lamp et al 1994). Most studies on the relationships between Cicadellidae and plants have focused on pests that attack economically important plants (Poos & Wheeler 1943, DeLong 1948, Purcell 1976, Zanol & de Menezes 1982), distribution of eggs on plant species (Miller & Hibbs 1963), plant species tested as alternate hosts (Claridge et al 1977), leafhoppers that alternate between hosts (Claridge & Wilson 1978). Dietrich (1999, 2013) did a phylogenetic analysis of some leafhopper taxa to assess the
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