The leafhoppers and other possible insect vectors of plant virus diseases in Arizona; a preliminary report on their seasonal occurrence Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Murphy, Daniel Robert, 1922- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 02:50:32 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/551175 THE LEAEHOPPERS ANjj OTHER POSSIBLE INSEuT VECTORS OF PLANT VIRUS DISEASES IN ARIZONA: A PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THEIR SEASONAL OuuURRENuE ty Daniel R. Murphy A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Entomology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF Sd IEiNu E in the Graduate vollege. University of Arizona 1951 Approved: Director of Thesis Date -v'h'n-'u .H £*9 7 9/ / 9 S / 7 Table of Contents Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 3 Scope of Present Paper 5 Literature consulted 7 Sources of Materials 8 Trap Locations 11 Determination Methods 12 Abbreviations 14 Analysis of Insect Groups HOMOPTERA (Jicadellidae 15 Ledrinae 15 Agalliinae 15 Macropsinae 16 Idiocerinae 16 lassinae 17 Xe stocephalinae 17 Tettigellinae 17 uicadellinae 18 Deltocephalinae . 19 Uhermidae 21 Membracidae 22 Fuleoridae • 22 Aphidae 2 1 9 1 5 2 22 HEMIPTERA Tlngictae 23 Mirloae 23 Lvgaeidae 23 THISANOPTERA. 23 UOLEOPTERA ChrysomeUdae 24 OTHER GROUPS 24 Smnmaiy Statement 26 Introduction to Tables & Charts 27 Tables I. Insects Removed from Tucson Traps 28 II. Leafhoppers Removed from Tucson Traps 29 III. Insects Removed from Yuma Traps . 30 IV. Leafhoppers Removed from Yuma Traps 31 V. Insects Removed from Phoenix Traps 32 VI. Insects Removed from Peoria Traps 32 VII. Leafhoppers Removed from Phoenix Traps 33 VIII. Leafhoppers Removed from Peoria* Traps 34 IX. Partial Analysis of Totals from Tables I, III, V & VI. 35 X. Analysis of Leafhopper Totals from Tables I, III, V, & VI. 36 XI. Leafhopper Vectors of Plant Virus Diseases 38 XII. Arizona Leafhopper Vectors of Plant Virus Diseases 42 XIII. Insect Vectors of Plant Virus Diseases 43 XIV. Arizona Aphid Vectors of Plant Virus Diseases 48 XV. Aphids Recorded from Tucson Traps 49 Charts I. Leafhoppers Removed from Tucson Traps 52 II. Ollarianas strlctus (Ball) Removed frcm Tucson Traps 53 III. Bnpoasca spp. Removed from Tucson Traps 54 IV. Leafhoppers Removed from Peoria Traps 55 V. Leafhoppers Removed from Phoenix Traps 56 VI. Leafhoppers Removed from Yuma Traps 57 Bibliography 58 1 Acknowledgments The writer is particularly grateful for guidance and counsel ty the late Professor Laurence Paul Wehrle of the Department of Ento­ mology, University of Arizona, under whose direction this.thesis vas begun. Dr. Laurence A. uarruth. Head of the Department of Entomology, University of Arizona, under whose direction this thesis was com­ pleted, is gratefully acknowledged for his assistance and helpful suggestions. Dr. Uarruth is to be commended for his supervision and coordination of the various phases of this investigation. Dr. Paul D. Keener, of the Department of Plant Pathology, Univer­ sity of Arizona, has stimulated this work by his constant interest and helpful suggestions. He was also responsible for the maintenance of the Tucson traps. Dr. U. F. V. Muesbeck and his associates at the United States National Museum, Washington, D. U., aided in the identification of in­ sect specimens as did Dr. F. u. Hottes, Grand Junction, Colorado, for­ merly of the University of Illinois, Dr. R. U. Dickson, University of California, Riverside, California and Dr. Dwight M. DeLong of the Ohio State University. Mr. Orin A. Hills and Mr. Edgar A. Taylor of the United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, maintained the traps exposed near Phoenix and Peoria. Mr. C. VJ. Van Horn, Superintendent of the Yuma Farms of the University of Arizona Agricultural Experiment Station, maintained the traps exposed at Yuma. 2 Mr. Lee (Jcover, Mr. Roy Simpson and Mr. Clinton Allen assisted at Tucson in the preparation of specimens received on traps for study and identification by the writer and others. The writer recognizes with appreciation the courtesies received from the staff of the University of Arizona Library, the Department of Agricultural Engineering and Mrs. M. E. Marshall during the prep­ aration of this thesis. 3 INTRODUCTION The first area of investigation vdien studying a plant virus disease is to obtain information regarding the possible insect vectors which are present (Leach 1940a). This paper is a preliminary report on the entomological phases of such an investigation ana represents the first of a projected series to be prepared by the Department of Entomology of the University of Arizona. Despite the fact that only a few species of the known insect vectors of plant virus diseases have actually been recorded as occur­ ring in the state, Arizona growers of lettuce, melons, tomatoes and other crops have suffered serious losses from such diseases. The re­ corded presence of only a small number of known insect vectors does not justify the assumption that Arizona is relatively free of disease- transmitting insects. In numerous papers published by Dr. H. H. P. Severin, of the University of California, it has been demonstrated ex­ perimentally that many additional species of insects closely related to the first known vector of California aster-yellows have been found to be capable of transmitting that disease. Similar studies with species of .insects closely related to known vectors of plant virus diseases will undoubtedly show that Arizona has far more vectors than is at present indicated by the information at hand. In experimental work to determine the vectors of a given plant virus disease two groups of insects should be given particular atten­ tions (1) those species which are closely related to known vectors of the disease and (2) those species which are the most active in the area during the periods of greatest Incidence of the disease. The importance of not stopping with the first vector or vectors discov­ ered cannot be over emphasized. This viewpoint is supported by the work of Severin and Table 13 of the present paper. 5 SCOPE OF PRESENT PAPER This thesis reports an analysis of the insects, known or believed to be actual or possible vectors of plant virus diseases, which were obtained from traps exposed adjacent to plantings of commercial crops at Peoria, Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma, Arizona. The maJor portion of the present paper deals with the leafhoppers (Homoptera: uicadellidae) with notes on their distribution, host plants and seasonal occurrence. In addition to the leafhoppers a brief resume is included of the Hemipterous families: Tingidae (lace bugs), Miridae (plant bugs) and lygaeidae (chinch bugs); the Homopterous families: Fulgoridae (lantemflies), Membracidae (treehoppers), Uhermidae (psyl- lids), and Aphidae (aphids); the Coleopterous family Chrysomelidae (flea beetles and Ciabrotica beetles) and all members of the Order Thysanop- tera (thrips). It is clearly shown in Table 13 that the maJority of the known vectors of plant virus diseases belong to the Orders of insects that have sucking mouth parts. With the exception of the flea beetles and the Ciabrotica beetles (coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) all insects dis­ cussed in the present findings have sucking mouth parts. The material reported in this paper represents an essential pre­ liminary step to later field studies to be made ty the Department of Entomology of the University of Arizona dealing with the biology and control of the insect species which are of greatest economic importance. It will also provide" essential information for the Department of Plant Pathology or the University or Arizona in connection with their re­ search projects dealing with insect transmission or plant virus diseases 7 LITERATURE CONSULTED All taxonomic arrangements oi* the Uicadellidae In this paper are based, cm Oman (1949a.) • This same paper has furnished a basis for all classification of the le&fhoppers (Uicadellidae) to the generic level. Publications by Britton (1923a), DeLong (1948a) and Medler (1942a) were found to be extremely valuable because of their keys to the spe­ cies. flock (1940a) was consulted as being the most complete work avail­ able containing information on the Uicadellidae and their host plants in Arizona. An unpublished manuscript of the late Dr. L. P. Wehrle has pro­ vided the only known list of the aphids which occur in Arizona. Bawden (1950a) and. Leach (1940aJ discuss at length plant virus diseases and their insect vectors. Bawden deals only with virus dis­ eases of plants while Leach presents a review of plant diseases in general. All papers by Severin listed in the bibliography deal with insects as vectors of plant virus-diseases and present experimental evidence of insect transmission. Metcalf (1942a) has been used as a basis for all bibliographic references up to 1942. 8 SOURCES OF MATERIALS All insect material for this study was collected on sticky board traps (Pear Psylla Traps) as described by Kaloostain and Yeomans (1944a). In the present study a trap consisted of four boards instead of the one as used by Kaloostain and Yeomans.* The trap support con­ sisted of a central pole with two cross bars at right angles to one another. Each of these cross bars supported two baordsJ therefore, there was exposed in each of the cardinal directions one surface of two boards or the equivalent of one trap as used by Kaloostain and Yeomans. Material for the present study was obtained from traps maintained at four locations in Arizona; one trap was located in or near each of the following cities: Peoria, Phoenix, Tucson and Yuma. The last three areas named were sampled over a period of one year while the Peoria samples extended over a period of only six months.