Page 41 - Volume 1, Issue 1, January 2008
Basic HTML Version
Hellenic Plant Protection Journal
1:
39-41, 2008
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Host plants of the planthopper
Metcalfa pruinosa
(Say)
(Hemiptera: Flatidae) and observations on its phenology in
Greece
C. Souliotis
1
, N.E. Papanikolaou
2
, D. Papachristos
1
and N. Fatouros
3
Summary
A survey conducted in areas of western and northern Greece from October 2005 to
October 2006 indicated that
Metcalfa pruinosa
(Say) is hosted on a large number of ornamentals,
fruit crops and weed species and on two cultivated vegetables (tomato, eggplant).
Year-round sampling from olive and citrus orchards in western Greece indicated that
M. pruinosa
develops one generation per year with adult activity spanning from late June to late September.
transferred to the laboratory to identify
immature life stages and adults of
M. pru-
inosa
as they developed during the year.
Results of the survey indicated that
M.
pruinosa
in the above locations is hosted
on a large number of ornamental plants,
fruit crops and weed species, as well as on
two cultivated vegetables (Tables 1, 2 and
3) confirming its polyphagous behaviour.
From the phenology study it was con-
cluded that
M. pruinosa
in western Greece
(an area characterized by its rather mild
climate) completes one generation per
year. First instar larvae emerge from over-
The planthopper
Metcalfa pruinosa
(Say)
(Hemiptera, Flatidae) has its origin in
North America (1). In Europe it was first re-
ported from eastern North Italy in 1979 (5)
and subsequently distributed in several Eu-
ropean countries (3, 4). In Greece it was first
recorded in May 2002 (2). All larval stages
of
M. pruinosa
produce wax and honeydew.
Honeydew is often a good substrate for the
development of sooty moulds from several
taxa, especially the family Capnodiaceae.
A survey of the plant species hosting
M. pruinosa
was conducted from Octo-
ber 2005 to October 2006 in areas of west-
ern (Preveza, Parga, Lefkada, Corfu) and
northern (Serres) Greece.
To study the phenology of
M. pruinosa,
a tangerine orchard and an olive orchard
were selected in the area of Preveza. Twen-
ty samples, consisting of tree twigs (about
25 cm in length) were randomly taken ev-
ery 15 days, placed in plastic bags and
1
Laboratory of Agricultural Entomology, Benaki Phy-
topathological Institute, 8 St. Delta str., 145 61 Kifissia
(Athens), Greece
2
Aegean University, Department of Environment, Uni-
versity Hill, 811 00 Mitilene, Greece
3
3 G. Gennimata str., 481 00 Preveza, Greece
Fig. 1.
Nerium oleander
infested by
M. pruinosa
.
