Population monitoring of leafhopper vectors of Xylella fastidiosa, through yellow sticky traps in commercial citrus orchards
Authors
Molina, Rubia de Oliveira; de Carvalho Nunes, William Mario; Orbolato Goncalves, Aline Maria; Corazza Nunes, Maria Julia; Zanutto, Carlos Alexandre
Description
Citrus variegated chlorosis (CVC) is the disease caused by the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa Wells. Dissemination occurs through insect vectors belonging to the order Hemiptera, family Cicadellidae (subfamily Cicadellinae), which transmit the bacteria after feeding on infected plants. The objective of this study was to identify the species of insect vectors in an orchard in the municipality of Paranavai, in the State of Parana. The experiment was conducted in a commercial stand of sweet orange (Citrus sinensis (L.) Osbeck), Pera variety with 1,000 10-year-old plants. Monitoring was performed using yellow sticky traps, distributed in the central and peripheral areas of the orchard with two traps on each one. The stickers were distributed between the 5th and 30th plant in each 10 rows, totaling 20 traps in the orchard and renewed every thirty days during the evaluation period, which was between June 2005 and September 2006. The main species caught were Cicadellinae Acrogonia citrina Marucci & Cavichioli Dilobopterus costalimai Young and Macugonalia cavifrons Stal. These species occurred constantly, with frequencies of 3.97%, 4.2%, and 13.0% respectively, compared to the total leafhoppers collected.