Annals of the Entomological Society of America (2004) 97, 1055-1062

Petr Dolezal, Blake R. Bextine, Romana Dolezalová and Thomas A. Miller (2004)
Novel methods of monitoring the feeding behavior of Homalodisca coagulata (Say) (Hemiptera; Cicadellidae)
Annals of the Entomological Society of America 97 (5), 1055-1062
Abstract: The glassy-winged sharpshooter, Homalodisca coagulata (Say), is an important agricultural pest because it is an effective vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the pathogen that causes Pierce's disease in grapevines. Knowledge of the feeding behavior of H. coagulata is important in understanding pathogen transmission, and this knowledge is important in developing innovative pathogen control strategies. Ingestion of fluid by sharpshooters was monitored as movement of fluid from reservoirs connected to short stems of plant tissue. We quantified the amount of fluid processed while the insects were freely moving on the plants stems offered for feeding. Females fed longer than males, and both ingested large amounts of plant fluid and both excreted large amounts of fluid. Excreta droplets were often actively flung from the body by flicking the abdomen. While actively ingesting, the abdomen made exaggerated movements that stopped during excretion. These movements only appeared after mouthparts penetrated the plant tissues. The abdominal movements were correlated with ingestion of plant fluids as monitored by fluid uptake from the reservoir.
(The abstract is excluded from the Creative Commons licence and has been copied with permission by the publisher.)
Link to article at publishers website
Database assignments for author(s): Thomas A. Miller, Blake Bextine

Research topic(s) for pests/diseases/weeds:
general biology - morphology - evolution

---

Pest and/or beneficial records:

Beneficial	Pest/Disease/Weed	Crop/Product	Country	Quarant.
	Homalodisca vitripennis