Forest Research: Open Access

Forest Research: Open Access
Open Access

ISSN: 2168-9776

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Short Communication - (2012) Volume 1, Issue 1

First Record of Poekilloptera Phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) Hosting Mimosa Caesalpiniaefolia (Mimosaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil

Claubert Wagner Guimarães De Menezes1, Marcus Alvarenga Soares2, Sebastião Lourenço De Assis Júnior3, Arley José Fonseca1 and José Cola Zanuncio4*
1Agronomist, M.Sc. in Plant Production, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39.100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, E-mail: CWG.deMenezes@ufv.br
2D.Sc. in Entomology, Professor of the Post Graduate Program in Plant Production, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39100-000, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil, E-mail: CWG.deMenezes@ufv.br
3D.Sc. in Forestry Sciences, Professor of the Department Forestry Engineering, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri, 39.100-000, Diamantina Minas Gerais, Brazil, E-mail: CWG.deMenezes@ufv.br
4Ph.D. in Entomology, Professor of the Department Animal Biology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 35.930-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, E-mail: CWG.deMenezes@ufv.br
*Corresponding Author: Dr. José Cola Zanuncio, Professor of the Department Animal Biology, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, 35.930-000, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil, Tel: 0XX 3138992534/2920, Fax: 0XX 3138992864 Email:

Abstract

Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) was reported on Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Fabaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. Immature and adults of P. phalaenoides were collected for identification on M. caesalpiniaefolia, which represents the first report of this insect on this plant. This preliminary study showed that M. caesalpiniaefolia is a potential host of P. phalaenoides

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Keywords: Host plant; Pests; Planthoppers

Mimosa caesalpinieaefolia Benth (Mimosaceae), native to northeastern Brazil, is a pioneer and deciduous ornamental plant. Its timber is useful as stakes, poles, firewood and charcoal. It is also used as living barrier against strong winds in restoring degraded areas and in urban regions. In addition, this plant is used as food for cattle due to its rapid growth, resistance to prolonged droughts and high protein content in its leaves [1,2]. Sap-sucking insects can damage this plant including death of terminal buds, dried up and deformation of leaves, losses of apical dominance and depreciating plant quality [2].

Immature and adults of P. phalaenoides were found on M. caesalpiniaefolia (Figure 1) in October 2011 in the city of Diamantina (18° 18 ‘S and 43º 36’ W, mean annual rainfall of 1082 mm, average temperature of 19.4°C and 1250 m altitude), Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This species of insect was identified by Dr. Stephen W. Wilson of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Central Missouri, USA. Insects were observed and collected on plants from a living barrier in an urban area and they were feeding on plant twigs and branches with wet and sticky excretions. It suggests that M. caesalpiniaefolia could be a breeding site for P. phalaenoides, besides being a source of shelter and food and, therefore, a potential host for this leafhopper.

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Figure 1: Nymphs (white arrow) and adults (black arrow) of Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) on Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia (Mimosaceae). Insect: Lateral view, showing black dots (black arrow) on the insect wing.

Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Linnaeus 1758) (Auchenorrhyncha: Flatidae) has been reported in several Brazilian States such as Bahia, Goiás, Mato Grosso, Minas Gerais, Pará, Paraíba, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Sul, Roraima, São Paulo and Sergipe [3-5]. It is pale yellow in color with black spots and marks on the wings (Figure 1). This insect also feeds on sap and excretes a substance rich in sugars that can favor fungi growth, known as sooty mold, which affects respiration, transpiration and photosynthesis of host plants [3,5,6]. Several plants, such as those of the genera Acacia and Albizia (A. mangium and A. podalyriaefolia) (Mimosaceae), Annona (Annonaceae), Cajanus and Dipteryx (Fabaceae), Cassia and Delonix (Caesalpiniaceae), Citrus (Rutaceae), Coffea (Rubiaceae), Enterolobium (Mimosaceae), Eucalyptus and Psidium (Myrtaceae), Inga (Mimosaceae), Mangifera (Anacardiaceae), Pithecelobium (Mimosaceae), Rosa and Prunus (Rosaceae) and Theobroma (Sterculiaceae) are hosts of P. phalaenoides [3,5,6].

This work represents the first report of the P. phalaenoides hosting M. caesalpiniaefolia in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This preliminary study showed that this plant is a potential host for P. phalaenoides.

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by “Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)”, “Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)” and “Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG)”. We also thank Dr. Stephen W. Wilson of the Department of Agriculture at the University of Central Missouri, USA, for the identification of this insect and to the anonymous referee for contributions.

References

  1. Ferreira GA, Veloso VRS, Veloso Naves R, Nascimento JL, Chaves LJ (2009) Biodiversidade de insetos em Pequizeiro (Caryocar brasiliense, Camb.) no cerrado do Estado de Goiás, Brasil. Agrociencia 13: 14-31.
  2. Pires EM, Silva IM, Pereira AE, Zanuncio JC (2011) Occurrence of Poekilloptera phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) on Acacia podalyriaefolia (Mimosoideae) in Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Revista Colombiana de Entomología 37:80-81.
  3. Querino RB, Tonini H, Marsáro Júnior AL, Couceiro SRM (2007) O manejo de Acacia mangium Willd (Fabaceae) tem efeito na infestação da cigarrinha Poekilloptera phalaenoides L. (Hemiptera: Flatidae)? Boletim de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento da EMBRAPA 4: 1-15.
  4. Lacerda MRB, Passos MAA, Rodrigues JJV, Barreto LP (2006) Características físicase químicas de substratos à base de pó de coco e resíduo de sisal paraprodução de mudas de Sabiá (Mimosa caesalpiniaefolia Benth). Revista Árvore 30: 163-170.
  5. Alves EU, Sader R, Bruno RLA,Alves AU (2004) Dormência e desenvolvimento de sementes de sabiá(Mimosa caesalpiniifolia Benth.). Revista Árvore 28: 655-662.
  6. Maes JM (2004) Insectos asociados a algunos cultivos tropicales en el Atlántico de Nicaragua.Revista Nicaraguense de Entomologia 64: 1-134.
Citation: Guimarães de Menezes CW, Soares MA, de Assis Júnior SL, Fonseca AJ, et al. (2012) First Record of Poekilloptera Phalaenoides (Hemiptera: Flatidae) Hosting Mimosa Caesalpiniaefolia (Mimosaceae) in Diamantina, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. J Forest Res Open Access 1:102.

Copyright: © 2012 Guimarães de Menezes CW, et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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