Distribution and trophic relationships of the buffalo treehopper, Stictocephala bisonia, in the Samara region of Russia

Abstract

Current climate change has led to an expansion of the ranges of many phytophagous species, an increase in the density of their populations, the number of generations and the intensity of plant damage. The purpose of this work was to assess the distribution and trophic relationships of the invasive buffalo treehopper Stictocephala bisonia Kopp et Yonke, 1977 (Insecta: Hemiptera: Membracidae) in the Samara region, as well as to determine the area of its distribution in the Russian Federation at the end of 2023. For the first time, adults of S. bisonia were recorded in Samara region in July 2009. Between 2011 and 2023, treehoppers were found in four Samara region districts. Totally, 116 leafhopper specimens were caught in 57 surveys. An average of 8.2 treehoppers were caught on herbaceous vegetation, and 6.0 specimens on tree species per 100 sweeps of the net. In the Samara region, in addition to forbs, the treehopper has been recorded on 24 plant species from 12 families. According to GBIF data, S. bisonia is distributed in 28 administrative Russian entities, the northernmost point is in the Nizhny Novgorod region (56.4N, 43.9E; 08/23/2023) and the easternmost point is in Bashkiria (51.9N, 58.2E; 07/29/2021). S. bisonia assumed to be a serious pest of young fruit trees and berry bushes.