The two-spotted leafhopper, Sophonia orientalis, (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae): a new threat to European vineyards

Abstract

Hemiptera are the second insect order with the highest proportion of exotic species in Europe. The main disease vectors in vineyards are introduced species of leafhoppers. The Asian two-spotted leafhopper has been recorded once on grapevines, but its relationship to this crop was unknown. More than 90 000 specimens were collected during a 9-year monitoring period with yellow-sticky traps on Madeira Island. This material and visual counts of nymphs on leaves confirm for the first time that grapevine is its host plant and that populations in vineyards are large throughout the grapevine growing season. Additional sampling to determine its current distribution range in Europe shows that it is spreading rapidly in the Macaronesian archipelagos and in the Iberian Peninsula, having already reached the French border. Twenty-four new food plants in Europe are reported with ornamentals being the most likely invasion pathway. Fieldwork observations from science platforms show that it breeds throughout the year between 10º and 38º latitude. These data, together with its good performance in wide environmental conditions and a history of previous successful invasions, strongly suggest that this species is a new threat to European vineyards. Control measures and more studies on plant damage and its potential for pathogen transmission are proposed.