Dinámica poblacional y fenología del salivazo de los pastos Zulia carbonaria (Lallemand) (Homoptera: Cercopidae) en el valle geográfico del río Cauca, Colombia

Abstract

-We studied the population fluctuation of nymphs, adults, eggs and natural enemies of the spittlebug Zulia carbonaria(Lallemand) (Homoptera: Cercopidae) associated with Brachiaria dictyoneura pastures of the Cauca River Valley, Colombia. Our objective was to describe spittlebug phenology under seasonal conditions of bimodal precipitation (March-May and September-November). Weekly, over two years, populations of spittlebugs and certain natural enemies were quantified using a sweep net (adults) and counts of nymphs in spittle masses. To obtain eggs and study their development, adult females were collected weekly and placed in petri dishes with moist filter paper to oviposit. In both survey years 3-4 generations of Z. carbonaria were documented with a mean life cycle of 66 days. Populations were most abundant in the first semester and decreased dramatically over the course of the second semester, even in the rainy months (September-November). Very few diapausing eggs were detected (0.5%). Natural enemies included the nymph predator Salpingogaster nigra Schiner (Diptera: Syrphidae), parasitic mites of adults (Acari: Erythraeidae) and fungi of various genera. Although Z. carbonaria synchronizes its life cycle with the rains of the first semester, no role of diapausing eggs was detected as is common in other spittlebug species under conditions of unimodal precipation. Possible explanations for this synchrony and for the scarcity of the insect under the rainy conditions of the second semester are discussed.KEY WORDS: Brachiaria, egg diapause, forage grass pest, Salpingogaster nigra, seasonality RESUMEN -Se estudió la fluctuación poblacional de ninfas, adultos, huevos y enemigos naturales de Zulia carbonaria (Lallemand) (Homoptera: Cercopidae) asociado con pastos de Brachiaria dictyoneura en el valle geográfico del río Cauca, Colombia. El objetivo de este trabajo fue describir la fenología de Z. carbonaria bajo las condiciones estacionales de precipitación bimodal (marzo-mayo y septiembrenoviembre). Semanalmente, durante dos años, se cuantificaron las poblaciones del salivazo y ciertos enemigos naturales mediante pases de jama (adultos) y conteos de ninfas en masas de espuma. Para obtener huevos y estudiar su desarrollo, semanalmente se recolectaron adultos hembras que se pusieron a ovipositar en cajas de petri con papel filtro húmedo en su interior. En ambos años de muestreo se documentaron 3-4 generaciones de Z. carbonaria con un ciclo de vida promedia de 66 días. Las poblaciones fueron más abundantes en el primer semestre y disminuyeron dramáticamente en el transcurso del segundo semestre, aún en los meses lluviosos (septiembre-noviembre). Se encontró muy bajo número de huevos diapáusicos (0.5%). Los enemigos naturales encontrados fueron la mosca depredadora de las ninfas Salpingogaster nigra Schiner (Diptera: Syrphidae), ácaros parasitarios de los adultos (Acari: Erythraeidae) y hongos de varios géneros. Aunque Z. carbonaria sincroniza su ciclo de vida con las lluvias del primer semestre, no se detectó un p...

Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cercopidae): Integrated Pest Management on Gramineous Crops in the Neotropical Ecozone

“…Thus, in humid zones, the insects achieve up to 6 generations per year (Sotelo and Cardona, 2001). This seasonal dynamic was reported for Zulia carbonaria (Lallemand, 1924) and Aeneolamia reducta (Lallemand, 1924) in colombian pasture systems for bimodal and monomodal rainfall patterns respectively (Peck et al, 2002;Castro et al, 2005), and Aeneolamia contigua (Walker, 1851) in sugarcane crops in Mexico, having a higher abundance of nymphs and adults after the rainy season started (Olán-Hernández et al, 2016). Additionally, Herrera-Huerta et al (2004) found that high humidity rates increase the egg hatching and survival rate of Aeneolamia postica (Walker, 1858) collected from sugarcane in Mexico in laboratory conditions.…”

A Hybrid Artificial Intelligence Model forAeneolamia varia(Hemiptera: Cercopidae) Populations in Sugarcane Crops

“…On the other hand, a significant correlation between rainfall and the number of A. varia and D. flavopicta nymphs has been demonstrated ( Melo et al 1984 , Figueredo et al 2012 ); however, no correlation has been suggested between precipitation and the number of A. varia adults in sugarcane crops. Thus, apart from the abiotic factors mentioned above, the presence of nymphs could account for the increase in adults in the field ( Castro et al 2005 ). In sugarcane crops approximately 6 mo old, the abundant foliar area increases humidity, which along with the development of secondary roots at the soil surface level affects the development and abundance of spittlebug nymphs.…”

“…However, advances in the development of an efficient management program have been limited due to insufficient knowledge of the effects of climate on population ecology in a sugarcane agroecosystem ( Figueredo et al 2013 ). Additionally, this cercopid species has developed a crucial mechanism to overcome climate variations through the production of diapause eggs, which are able to synchronize their life cycle with the rainy season ( Fontes et al 1995 , Castro et al 2005 ). Thus, considering the ability of cercopid species to adapt to their environment, several studies predicting population fluctuations have been carried out.…”

Development of the SpittlebugMahanarva fimbriolataunder Varying Photophase Conditions

“…The egg viability was checked daily. Eggs were classified according to the criteria adopted by Castro et al ( 2005 ), in which nymphs whose eggs hatch during the first 30 days are non-diapausing and those that hatch after this period are diapausing. The number of normal, diapausing, and non-viable eggs, and the total average number of eggs laid per female, were recorded each day.…”