Cicadas from kiwifruit orchards in New Zealand and identification of their final instar exuviae (Cicadidae: Homoptera)

Life history of chorus cicada, an endemic pest of kiwifruit (Cicadidae: Homoptera)

“…Two Australian species that are minor pests of sugarcane (Parnkalla muelleri (Distant) and Cicadetta crucifera (Ashton)) have annual life cycles (Chandler 1972;Moulds 1990). Other New Zealand cicada species have a much more extended emergence period by comparison (Logan & Connolly 2005;Larivière et al 2010) perhaps because of more variable physiological development and responses to environmental cues. Emergence from tunnels may be cued to a particular temperature, as suggested for periodical cicadas (Heath 1968).…”

“…At the other extreme, some periodical cicadas of the genus (0) Tunnel-building by fifth instar nymphs before emergence is well known for cicadas (Moulds 1990;Williams & Simon 1995). Some of these males may have also come from the shelter trees that host many A. zelandica, but it is less likely they came from forest trees, where emergence densities were relatively low at the orchard study site (Logan & Connolly 2005). Emergence took place during an 8-week period, with c.80% emerging during 3 weeks.…”

“…Most of the life cycle is spent as a nymph and this can last as long as 13 or 17 years (Karban 1986). It is the most abundant cicada species in kiwifruit orchards in the Bay of Plenty and is regarded as a pest by kiwifruit growers (Logan & Connolly 2005). Adult males sing to attract mates with a song that is probably species-specific (e.g.…”

Influence of landscape structure on endemic cicadas in New Zealand kiwifruit orchards

“…Vines were selected from all vines in each block by using a list of random numbers and the number of vines to be sampled was estimated to minimize standard error to <0.2 of the mean. Exuviae were counted in early March when eclosion is known to be complete (Logan & Connolly, 2005). Exuviae were identified to species based on Logan and Connolly (2005) and assumed to be from nymphs that had fed on the vine on which they were found.…”

“…Two endemic species of cicada (Homoptera: Cicadidae), Amphipsalta zelandica (Boisduval) and Amphipsalta cingulata (Fabricius) can complete their lifecycle on vines of kiwifruit. They are a minor pest mainly because of fruit rejection as a result of sooty mould considered to be associated with adult excreta, and loss of fruiting canes from oviposition (Logan & Connolly, 2005). The lack of reports of cicadas in kiwifruit before the early 2000s suggests that densities of Amphipsalta may have recently increased in kiwifruit, and this is also of concern to growers.…”