Ligurian leaf cicada
| Ligurian leaf cicada | ||||||||||||
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Ligurian leaf cicada ( Eupteryx decemnotata ) on catnip ( Nepeta catarica ); about 2.5 millimeters |
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| Systematics | ||||||||||||
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Eupteryx decemnotata | ||||||||||||
| Rey , 1891 |
The Ligurian leaf cicada ( Eupteryx decemnotata ) is a high-contrast colored cicada of the subfamily of leaf cicadas (Typhlocybinae) within the suborder of the round-headed leaf hoppers (Cicadomorpha). The species, which originally spread across the Mediterranean , has been recorded in Germany since 1989 and in England since 2002. It is spreading steadily and is considered a possible pest on ornamental and cultivated plants. Characteristic features of this cicada are a total of ten dark points on the forehead, the vertex and the pronotum, to which the scientific name refers (Latin: decem = ten; notatus, -a, -um = drawn).
features
The females of the Ligurian leaf hoppers reach body lengths between 2.2 and three millimeters. The males are slightly smaller at 2.2 to 2.8 millimeters. The basic color of the animals is yellowish green. Characteristic and relevant for the determination of the species of the genus Eupteryx are, in addition to the genital fittings and, in some cases, the wing drawing, the dot pattern of the apex ( vertex ), the pronotum ( pronotum ) and the forehead ( frons ). The Ligurian leaf cicada has four small spots on the apex tip, some of which can be somewhat linear. In highly pigmented individuals, these can fuse. At the rear edge of the crown there are two separate spots, often converging. There are four spots on the forehead (seen from the front, see photo on the left). A total of ten spots can be seen on the head. At the pronotum carries numerous smaller points. The forewings are light yellow-green with yellow-brown pattern and dark-brown cell borders.
Other related species of the genus are, for example Gartenblattzikade ( Eupteryx florida ) or Eibischblattzikade ( Eupteryx Melissae ) with which frequently occurs in common.
Way of life
nutrition
Like all cicadas, the Ligurian leaf cicadas also feed on plant juices (phytosug), which they ingest with their specially built mouthparts. They prefer labiates , predominantly real sage ( Salvia officinalis ), real catnip ( Nepeta catarica ), lemon balm ( Melissa officinalis ) and thyme (thymus), the cell contents of the leaves ( mesophyll ) they suck out. They are oligophagous 2nd degree, which means that they feed on a maximum of two plant families or four plant genera from a maximum of four families.
Reproduction and development
Mating is initiated by the male by anchoring the genital fittings to that of the female. The male initially sits diagonally next to the female. This V-position, which is characteristic of other groups of cicadas, is not retained in the leaf cicadas. After the coupling this becomes antagonistic. The angle increases to 180 ° so that the male and the female sit on the substrate with their heads turned away from each other . Leaf hoppers are hemimetabolic . The larvae develop directly. The larvae and the adult animals basically have the same body structure. With increasing age, the systems for the wings and genital fittings grow and grow. Leaf cicadas go through five larval stages. They form two generations in Central Europe, and possibly three more generations a year in Southern Europe. They overwinter in the ice stage. Adults can be found between mid-May and the end of October, in southern Europe as early as April (possibly earlier). Adult animals were also found in greenhouses in December.
Habitat and Distribution
The Ligurian leaf cicada lives in gardens, green spaces, vineyards and ruderal biotopes .
The cicada species, originally only known from the Mediterranean region ( southern France , Italy ) and Switzerland , was detected for the first time in 1989 in southwest Germany . Since then, it has rapidly expanded its range. In the meantime it is located in almost the entire federal territory northwards via Münster and Cologne to Oldenburg , Wilhelmshaven , Lübeck , Fehmarn , Berlin and Erfurt as well as in England . The spread of the cicada may have been promoted by the trade and transportation of catnip, an ornamental plant that has recently become increasingly popular in Europe.
Hazard and protection
The Ligurian leaf cicada is not protected by law. However, in Germany it is considered to be highly endangered (risk category 2).
Economical meaning
The Ligurian leaf cicada, as well as other types of leaf leaf hoppers, are potential pests on aromatic and medicinal herbs. They suck the cell sap of sponge and Palisadenparenchyme . The cells fill with air and the affected leaf tissue dies (leaf necrosis). This makes characteristic suction marks visible on the leaf surfaces of the host plants (see figure). If the cicadas are very densely populated, this can lead to a loss of vitality and ultimately to the death of the host plants.
Possibilities are currently being researched and tested to limit mass infestation of medicinal and aromatic herbs in a biological way with the help of natural enemies of cicadas, the cicada wasps (Dryinidae).
Sources and further information
swell
- ^ R. Biedermann, R. Niedringhaus: The cicadas of Germany - identification tables for all kinds. Fründ, Scheeßel, 2004. ISBN 3-00-012806-9
- ↑ H. Nickel, R. Remane: List of species of cicadas in Germany, with information on nutrient plants, food breadth, life cycle, area and endangerment (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha et Cicadomorpha). - Contributions to the cicada 5/2002. pdf 229 kB
- ^ R. Remane, E. Wachmann : Cicadas - get to know, observe - Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg, 1993. ISBN 3-89440-044-7
- ↑ a b c H. Nickel, WE Holzinger: Rapid range expansion of Ligurian leafhopper, Eupteryx decemnotata Rey, 1891 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae), a potential pest of garden and greenhouse herbs, in Europe. - Russian Journal of Entomology 2006, 15 (3): 57-63. (PDF; 1.0 MB)
- ^ H. Nickel: The leafhoppers and planthoppers of Germany (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha): Patterns and strategies in a highly diverse group of phytophagous insects. Pensoft, Sofia and Moscow, 2003. ISBN 954-642-169-3
- ↑ Red List of Cicadas in Germany (PDF 3.0 MB, published in: Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Ed.): Red List of Endangered Animals in Germany. Landwirtschaftsverlag, Münster 1998, ISBN 3-89624-110-9 )
- ^ A. Guglielmino (2002): Dryinidae (Hymenoptera Chrysidoidea): an interesting group among the natural enemies of the Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) . In: Denisia 4, NF 176: 549-556. ISBN 3-85474-077-8
further reading
- WE Holzinger, I. Kammerlander, H. Nickel: The Auchenorrhyncha of Central Europe - Die Zikaden Mitteleuropas. Volume 1: Fulgoromorpha, Cicadomorpha excl. Cicadellidae. - Brill, Leiden 2003, ISBN 90-04-12895-6
Web links
- Eupteryx decemnotata in Fauna Europaea