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The exotic delphacid Leptodelphax maculigera (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) in Argentina: taxonomy and biological aspects

Leptodelphax maculigera (Stål) (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea) is reported for the first time in Argentina. It is native to the Afrotropical region and recently recorded in South America in corn-growing areas in Brazil as a potential vector of “corn stunt” complex pathogens. Specimens have been periodicall...

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Main Authors: Marino de Remes Lenicov, Ana María, Mariani, Roxana, Almada, Melina Soledad, Saluso, Adriana, Szwarc, Diego Ernesto
Format: info:ar-repo/semantics/artículo
Language:Inglés
Published: Sociedad Entomológica Argentina 2025
Subjects:
Delphacidae
Hemiptera
Identification
Taxonomy
Plant Pests
Morphology
Identificación
Taxonomía
Plagas de Plantas
Morfología
Leptodelphax maculigera
Chicharrita Africana
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12123/23164
https://www.biotaxa.org/RSEA/article/view/87015
https://doi.org/10.25085/rsea.840211
Summary:Leptodelphax maculigera (Stål) (Hemiptera, Fulgoroidea) is reported for the first time in Argentina. It is native to the Afrotropical region and recently recorded in South America in corn-growing areas in Brazil as a potential vector of “corn stunt” complex pathogens. Specimens have been periodically collected since July 2024 on several cereals and forage crops at the commercial and experimental fields of the National Agricultural Technology Institute (INTA), Argentina. Complementary morphological characters that distinguish adults of both sexes are described and illustrated, and the anatomical features of the fifth-instar nymphs are detailed to provide taxonomic elements that allow differentiating it from other species of delphacids present in the Argentine cereal region. Adults are slender with a pale coloration and a facial black spot between the frons and clypeus, with distinctive male and female genitalia. Nymphs of the fifth-instar are of yellowish whitish coloration, with a similar black facial spot but located centrally on frons. These morphological traits serve as diagnostic characters for distinguishing both developmental stages. The distribution range in Argentina marks the southernmost known limit of the genus. Preliminary field observations underscore the significance of Setaria sphacelata (Schumach.) (Poaceae) as a preferred host while identifying Chloris gayana Kunth and Avena sativa L. (Poaceae) as new hosts.

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