Entomology, Department of
Date of this Version
1994
Abstract
Ecological characteristics of potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Harris), including polyphagy, suggest that non-economic plant species in the landscape may be important to its population ecology. The objectives of this study were to compile a host list, to ascertain taxonomic and ecological patterns within the list, and to determine host utilization in non-crop habitats. The host plant list included 220 species in 100 genera and 26 families. Fabaceae represented 47% of the genera and 62% of the species. Yet, the list includes a diversity of taxonomic groups within the class Magnoliopsida, representing highly divergent chemistry and morphological types. Ecological classifications, based on such characteristics as habitat, growth form, and origin, were similarly diverse. Thus, the diversity of plant species suitable for reproduction suggests that non-crop habitats may be a significant source of potato leafhopper populations after spring migration into northern states. Also, the ability of leafhopper adults to utilize additional species (e.g., grasses, pines) as refugia provides a secondary role to non-crop habitats. Yet, our limited data suggest that utilization of non-crop habitats for reproduction is restricted to a relatively few naturalized hosts (e.g., deciduous trees). Host finding behavior, operating at a landscape or habitat level, as well as abiotic and biotic factors within habitats, may limit host utilization in non-crop habitats.
Comments
JOURNAL OF THE KANSAS ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY 67(4), 1994, pp. 354-368