Monitoring phytoplasma‐bearing leafhoppers/planthoppers in vineyards in the Golan Heights, Israel

Abstract

In the course of identifying the vector(s) of the grapevine yellows (GY) and western‐X (WX) phytoplasmas in the Golan Heights, leafhopper and planthopper species were examined. The planthopper, Hyalesthes obsoletus, was trapped on yellow sticky traps or collected on weeds; there was a relatively small peak during two weeks in June and during four weeks starting mid‐September. The leafhoppers, Neoaliturus spp. and Circulifer sp. (of the haematoceps complex) were both trapped early or very late in summer, but could be collected on weeds throughout the summer. The two remaining leafhopper species, Macrosteles quadripunctulatus and Orosius orientalis (=albicinctus) were only rarely caught on sticky traps, but were found on weeds throughout the summer. Phytoplasmas were found within the body of these five species; all are historically known to be efficient vectors of various phytoplasmas and were therefore chosen for further investigations.