Relationships between Life Histories of Leafhoppers (Auchenorrhyncha - Hemiptera) and Their Host Plants (Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae)

Abstract

The relationship between life histories of host plants and ecological characteristics of leafhoppers was studied on leafhopper assemblages found on 26 monocotyledonous plant species. The difference in disturbance intensity between various habitats was reflected by differences in the life history syndromes of both plants (ruderal vs competitive and stress-tolerant) and leafhoppers. Leafhoppers on ruderal plants show a «colonization syndrome», having higher dispersal ability, wider host plant ranges, larger geographic distribution, and more generations per year than species on competitive and stress-tolerant plants. This «colonization syndrome» evolved independently at least twice in leafhoppers, i.e., within Delphacidae and Cicadellidae. A gradient in nutrient concentrations, from extremely oligotrophic peatbogs to nutrient-rich littoral zone vegetation, was reflected in the replacement of stress-tolerant by competitive plant species, but this change was not parallelled by any difference in the ecological characteristics of their leafhopper herbivores. There were no differences in host plant range, generation number, wing condition, and geographic range of leafhoppers associated with their specialization to host plants from different families (Juncaceae, Cyperaceae, Poaceae) as well