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Life History, Developmental Biology, and Seasonal Abundance of ldioscopus Nitidulus (Walker) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)
Thesis Abstract:
Harumanis mango in Perlis suffered from the outbreak of leafhoppers, Jdioscopus nitidulus Walker, in 1986 and 1987. Laboratory and field experiments were conducted to investigate some aspects of the biology of mango leafhoppers (I. nitidulus Walk.), an important pest of mango flowers and shoots in Southeast Asia. The synchrony of insect population with the phenology of the plant was also studied.
The I. nitidulus adults were found to survive on mature leaves in the absence of flowers and shoots. However, reproduction occurred during the onset of flowering and young shoot development in mango.
The fluctuating patterns in the abundance of hoppers coincided with the availability of flower panicles and developing shoots. The number of hoppers appeared unaffected by the heights and positions of flower panicles in the tree.
The developmental period of male and female hopper on flower panicles were 13.77 ± 0.25 days and 13.50 ± 0.60 days, respectively. The developmental periods of male and female hopper reared on Harumanis shoot were 15.07 ± 0.81 days and 17.10 ± 0.77 days, respectively. The mean incubation periods on flower panicles and shoots were 3.85 ± 2.00 days and 3.76 ± 2.00 days, respectively.
The hoppers survived in all mango varieties but had varying developmental periods. The shortest developmental time was that of the hoppers reared on Nam Dork Mai with 12.10 ± 0.42 days and 12.71 ± 0.75 days for male and female, respectively. There were four instars when reared on Harumanis and Nam Dork Mai, and five instars when reared on Sala and Apple mango.
Hoppers reared on the flower panicles of Harumanis mango produced an average of277.1 ± 109.6 eggs and percentage hatchability of90.2 ± 8.4 percent, while those on vegetable shoots had an average of 149.5 ± 56.6 eggs and percentage hatchability of 54.8 ± 21.8 percent.
Studies on the hopper's mating behavior showed that single mated females produced an average of 175.9 ± 71.7 eggs while multiple mated ones produced only 149.3 ± 56.6 eggs. However, single mated females seemed to live longer (67.1 ± 26.3 days) than multiple mated females (59.6 ± 21.8 days}. Virgin female hoppers lived a little longer than male hoppers. The longevity of male and female hoppers were 60.5 ± 29.9 days and 69.8 ± 36.0 days, respectively.
Four parasitoids were observed in the hoppers' eggs, namely: Gonatocerus sp. (Mymaripae), Mirufens sp., 0/igosita(Zorontogramma) sp. (Trichogrammatidae), and Centrodora idioceri (Aphelinidae). Only one predator, Campyloma lividicornis (Miridae), was found feeding on the first nymphal instar of the hoppers.