Description of Immature Stages and Life Cycle of the Treehopper,Guayaquila projecta

Abstract

Immature stages of the membracid Guayaquila projecta (Funkhouser) (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Membracidae), collected in San Salvador de Jujuy, Argentina on Bougainvillea glabra Choisy (Caryophyllales: Nyctaginaceae), are described in detail based on specimens reared in the laboratory. Like other membracids, this species has five nymphal instars, not seven as previously reported. Morphological characters for identifying the different instars of G. projecta, determining the sex of later instars and distinguishing this species from other members of the Guayaquila pugnax group, are discussed. At 19 ±± 4°°C, RH 59 ±± 9%, and a 12:12 L:D photoperiod, the time required for development from egg to adult emergence was 73 ±± 5 days.

First Biological Data ofCeresa nigripectus(Hemiptera: Membracidae), a Common Treehopper on Alfalfa Crops in Argentina

“…The length of this stage is highly variable in most of the membracids species, and it could range from 6 to 33 days, as recorded by Gajalakshmi & Jayakumar (2011) for Oxyrhachis rufescens Walker (mean of 5.7 days), 8-10 days for Spissistilus festinus (Say) (Jordan 1952), or 33 days for G. projecta (Linares et al 2010).…”

“…Funkhouser (1917) mentioned that in most of the 7 Ceresa species found in the Cayuga Lake basin of New York state, eggs are laid in groups from 4 to 8. Linares et al (2010) described that the membracid Guayaquila projecta (Funkhouser) deposits its eggs on Bougainvillea glabra Choisy (Caryophyllales: Nyctaginaceae) in masses with a range of 24-72 eggs, and Snow & Dhileepan (2008) asserted that the eggs of the membracid Aconophora compressa Walker were deposited in batches.…”

“…Funkhouser (1917) stated that the nymphal development is variable in Ceresa borealis Fairmaire; various individuals from the same egg cluster do not develop uniformly, some reaching full maturity a week earlier than others. Nymphal development times for other treehoppers include: a mean of 21.2 days for S. festinus (Jordan 1952), 26.2 days for O. rufescens (Gajalakshmi & Jayakumar 2011), 40 days for G. projecta (Linares et al 2010), 49 days for C. borealis, 5 weeks for Telamona ampelopsidis Harris, or 6 weeks for S. bisonia. Funkhouser (1917) states that the life cycle of Stictocephala diceros (Say) is long because the fifth nymphal instar is much longer than the preceding ones; similarly, this phenomenon was observed in C. nigripectus (Table 1).…”

“…Palabras Clave: ciclo de vida; comportamiento; enfermedad de la alfalfa; fitoplasma Membracidae Rafinesque (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha) is a large family that includes about 3,500 known species worldwide (McKamey 1998;Wallace & Deitz 2004;Dietrich 2008;Deitz et al 2011), and its greatest diversity is in the Neotropical region (Wood 1993;Linares et al 2010). They are typically phloem sap feeders and a few are considered minor pests of agriculture in subtropical regions of the world, such as Stictocephala bisonia Kopp & Yonke, 1977(= Membracis bubalus Fabricius, 1794 (the buffalo treehopper), Umbonia crassicornis (Amyot & Serville) (thorn bug), Spissistilus festinus (Say) (three-cornered alfalfa hopper), Aconophora compressa Walker and Oxyrhachis spp.…”

“…Most of the contributions are on taxonomy and/or geographic distribution, and very few address biological aspects (Box 1929;Christensen 1942Christensen , 1943Torres 1953;Hayward 1960;Sakakibara 1968;Remes Lenicov 1970, 1973aLinares et al 2010). Remes Lenicov (in press) mentions 140 species from 55 genera, 14 tribes and 7 subfamilies in Argentina; where the subfamily Smiliinae is the most diverse (63 species) including 21 species of the genus Ceresa.…”