''Empoasca decedens'' is a species of

leafhopper Leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family (biology), family Cicadellidae: based on the type genus ''Cicadella''. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or ...

s belonging to the family Cicadellidae. This species has a small, slender body with a yellowish green coloration. Both males and females measure between in length.

Distribution and hosts

''Empasca decedens'' is believed to be native to the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

region and is widely distributed here. However, it has been recorded in Middle Eastern countries such as

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

and

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

and also in various western Asiatic countries, including

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and borders China and Russia to the north at the Yalu River, Yalu (Amnok) an ...

and

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

. Recently, ''E. decedens'' has been found in

Madeira Island Madeira is a Portuguese island, and is the largest and most populous of the Madeira Archipelago. It has an area of , including Ilhéu de Agostinho, Ilhéu de São Lourenço, Ilhéu Mole (northwest). As of 2021, Madeira had a total population o ...

, along with 3

morphotype In biology, polymorphism is the occurrence of two or more clearly different morphs or forms, also referred to as alternative ''phenotypes'', in the population of a species. To be classified as such, morphs must occupy the same habitat at the s ...

s of Empoasca which reproduce parthenogenetically. Although it has generally been considered that ''E. decedens'' is a Mediterranean species, several publications show that it has a much wider area of distribution. Whether it is native to all of its range or has been recently introduced is not clear. ''Empoasca decedens'' can cause damage to many different food plants and is able to endure very diverse environmental conditions, which suggests that this species has a great potential to successfully colonize new areas. ''Empoasca decedens'' has been recorded from 61 plant species of 50 genera belonging to 29 different families. These food plants are spontaneous and cultivated, including ornamental and horticultural plants and fruit trees. About half of its host plants are herbaceous plants but it is also associated with trees and, to a lesser extent, with shrubs, either deciduous or perennial.

Damage

''Empoasca decedens'' is a highly

polyphagous Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffixes -vore, -vory, or -vorous from Latin ''vorare'', meaning "to devour", or -phage, -phagy, or -phagous from Greek φαγε ...

species, constituting an important pest to several cultivated plants including several fruit trees such as

citrus ''Citrus'' is a genus of flowering trees and shrubs in the family Rutaceae. Plants in the genus produce citrus fruits, including important crops such as oranges, mandarins, lemons, grapefruits, pomelos, and limes. ''Citrus'' is nativ ...

peach The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and Agriculture, cultivated in China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and the glossy-skinned, non-fuzzy varieties called necta ...

es, and

almond The almond (''Prunus amygdalus'', Synonym (taxonomy)#Botany, syn. ''Prunus dulcis'') is a species of tree from the genus ''Prunus''. Along with the peach, it is classified in the subgenus ''Amygdalus'', distinguished from the other subgenera ...

s. It also damages many other cultivated plants such as

cotton Cotton (), first recorded in ancient India, is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus '' Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure ...

raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of several plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the Rosaceae, rose family, most of which are in the subgenus ''Rubus#Modern classification, Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Ras ...

potato The potato () is a starchy tuberous vegetable native to the Americas that is consumed as a staple food in many parts of the world. Potatoes are underground stem tubers of the plant ''Solanum tuberosum'', a perennial in the nightshade famil ...

es,

vines A vine is any plant with a growth habit of trailing or wikt:scandent, scandent (that is, climbing) stems, lianas, or runners. The word ''vine'' can also refer to such stems or runners themselves, for instance, when used in wicker work.Jackson; ...

and grain plants. The feeding on the leaves causes discoloration but other common effects are deformation of leaves, leaf curling and necrosis from the apex to the basis of the leaves, usually known as hopperburn. Apart from the damage to leaves, fruits such as oranges can also be attacked. On these, the insects cause pale yellow spots, which diminish the quality and the external appearance resulting in the loss of its commercial value. It has been demonstrated recently that this species can transmit phytoplasms to plums and apricots. Polyphagous species such as ''E. decedens'' represent a potential problem if they are introduced into new areas because they can shift to new food plants.

Control

The most common method of pest control is chemical and several of these have been tested. The recommended chemicals to control ''Empoasca decedens'' are

organophosphate In organic chemistry, organophosphates (also known as phosphate esters, or OPEs) are a class of organophosphorus compounds with the general structure , a central phosphate molecule with alkyl or aromatic substituents. They can be considered ...

s, nicotinoids and

pyrethroid A pyrethroid is an organic compound similar to the natural pyrethrins, which are produced by the flowers of pyrethrums (''Chrysanthemum cinerariaefolium'' and ''Chrysanthemum coccineum, C. coccineum''). Pyrethroids are used as commercial and hou ...

s. These affect the nervous system or are growth regulation inhibitors.

References

External links

Island Parthenogenesis: Origin of multiple parthenoforms of Empoasca leafhoppers in Madeira island
a study of the parthenogenesis of ''E. decedens''
An Interactive Key to Species of ''Empoasca''

fauna-eu.org
{{Taxonbar, from=Q13552062 Empoascini Insect vectors of plant pathogens Hemiptera of Asia Insects described in 1932