Bionomics of Oncometopia tucumana (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), A sharpshooter from Argentina, with notes on its distribution, host plants, and egg parasitoids

VIRLA, EDUARDO G.; LOGARZO, GUILLERMO; PARADELL, S.; TRIAPITSYN, S.

FLORIDA ENTOMOLOGIST

Año: 2008 vol. 91 p. 55 - 62

0015-4040

Bionomics of the proconiine sharpshooter Oncometopia tucumana (Schröder) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from northern Argentina is reported. Leafhoppers were monitored during the entire season in a citrus orchard in Horco Molle, Tucumán Province, and also sampled in Jujuy and Salta Provinces. The sharpshooters were found from spring to late fall; they overwinter as adults and females do not lay eggs from April to October. Oncometopia tucumana is polyphagous, 12 plants in 11 families were recorded as its hosts for the first time. Egg masses of O. tucumana were attacked by three parasitoid species, Gonatocerus annulicornis (Ogloblin), G. metanotalis (Ogloblin), and G. tuberculifemur (Ogloblin) (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), that collectively produced an egg mortality close to 60%. Gonatocerus annulicornis resulted the main egg parasitoid, emerging from nearly 80% of the parasitized eggs.