First record in Poland of the Ligurian leafhopper, Eupteryx decemnotata Rey 1891 (Cicadomorpha, Cicadellidae) – an important pest of herbs

Abstract

The Ligurian leafhopper (Eupteryx decemnotata Rey 1891) has been recorded for the first time in Poland, in a commercial greenhouse in Warsaw. Individuals were collected from rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.). Intense feeding of this species caused serious damage in the cultivation of rosemary. For this reason, the range extension of this species must be monitored.

Ligurian leafhopper Eupteryx decemnotata (Rey) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae)

“…Adult or immature leafhoppers may have hitchhiked their way from country to country on imported catnip (Nepeta cataria (L.)) plants, which were becoming popular ornamental plants in the 1980s (Nickel and Holzinger 2006). Subsequently, the Ligurian leafhopper invaded the United Kingdom (Maczey and Wilson 2004), the United States (Rung et al 2009), and Poland (Lubiarz and Musik 2015). Within the United States, the leafhopper has been reported from multiple individual sites in eight states, although collections made in Pennsylvania and Florida represent regulatory interceptions, and therefore may not imply the presence of an established population (Figure 2) (Halbert et al 2009, Ciafré and Barringer 2017).…”

“…Much of the published literature about Ligurian leafhopper management comes from Europe, rather than the United States, where it is still a relatively recent arrival. In Poland, herb producers reportedly vacuum plants and employ yellow sticky traps to reduce the abundance of Ligurian leafhopper during the growing season (Lubiarz and Musik 2015). Several applications of a neem seed derivative provided effective chemical control on rosemary grown under high tunnels in Switzerland (Crettenand and Mittaz 2001).…”

Proposals of biological control of pests in greenhouse cultivation of aromatic plants in Poland and problems related to its application

“…Ligurian leafhopper is a new species occurring in Poland (Lubiarz and Musik 2015). It is observed in large population on rosemary, and less on mint, basil, and lemon balm.…”

“…This aphid species was recorded in 2014 and 2015 on mint. Rosemary, and sometimes basil, mint or lemon balm were infested with a leafhopper, the species not so far observed in Poland -Eupteryx decemnotata Rey (Lubiarz and Musik 2015). Thrips (Thysanoptera), aphids (Aphidoidea) and moths (Lepidoptera) most often infested basil and mint, whereas leafhoppers (Cicadomorpha) were abundant especially on rosemary.…”

First record of Eupteryx decemnotata Rey, 1891 from Hungary – a Trojan horse in leafhopper skin (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae)

“…Oligophagous, the following food plants (in alphabetic order) were recorded in Central Europe and North America: Lavandula sp., Melissa officinalis, Mentha sp., Monarda sp., Nepeta sp., Ocimum basilicum, Origanum majorana, Origanum vulgare, Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis, and Thymus sp. (Nickel & Holzinger 2006, Rung et al 2009, Lubiarz & Musik 2015.…”