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Seasonal abundance of Maiestas banda (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a vector of phytoplasma, and other leafhoppers and planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) associated with Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in Kenya

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Abstract

Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum Schumach), the main fodder crop in eastern Africa, has recently been severely affected by Napier stunt disease, which is caused by phytoplasma. We have recently confirmed that a leafhopper, Maiestas banda (Kramer) transmits phytoplasma in Napier grass in Kenya. Several other species of leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) and planthoppers (Delphacidae) are also associated with Napier grass, and some could be potential vector(s) of phytoplasma, but little is known about phenology and movement activity of these insect groups. We monitored the populations of M. banda and other leafhoppers and planthoppers in Napier grass fields at two sites in western Kenya for 18 months. High population densities were observed for M. banda, suggesting that it plays a major role in the disease epidemics in the region. Sampling with Malaise traps and a vacuum-suction sampler revealed that M. banda and five other species (Cicadulina mbila (Naudé), Cofana polaris Young, Cofana unimaculata (Signoret), Leptodelphax dymas Fennah, Maiestas sp.) exhibited a high proportion of males in the trap catches, implying higher mobility in males than females. A suction sampler collected more individuals of three species (M. banda, Maiestas sp., and Thriambus strenuus Van Stalle) from phytoplasma-infected than healthy plants at both sites. The populations of M. banda and other five species (C. unimaculata, Maiestas sp., L. dymas, T. strenuus, and Rhinotettix sp. 1) showed a conspicuous peak at the end of the short rainy season (Sep to Dec), implying that common regulatory factors such as rainfall may affect the leafhopper and planthopper complex.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Eshmail Kidiavai, Romanus Odhiambo, Washington Omondi and staff at ICIPE Thomas Odhiambo Campus, Mbita Point for their field and laboratory assistance, and Masaya Matsumura for his helpful comments on earlier drafts of the manuscript. We are indebted to the Lake Basin livestock multiplication centre and Kabula catholic parish for allowing us to work in their fields. This study was partly funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science via a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (no. 21405018) and the McKnight Foundation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Regional Collaboration, Kanazawa University, Kakuma, Kanazawa, 920-1192, Japan

    Shinsaku Koji

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Funako 1737, Atsugi, Kanagawa, 243-0034, Japan

    Satoshi Fujinuma & Tadashi Ishikawa

  3. International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), P. O. Box 30772, Nairobi, Kenya

    Charles A. O. Midega, Hassan M. Mohamed & Zeyaur R. Khan

  4. Department of Biodiversity and Systematic Biology, National Museum of Wales, Cardiff, CF10 3NP, UK

    Michael R. Wilson

  5. Hemiptera Research Group, Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University Berlin, Invalidenstr. 43, Berlin, 10115, Germany

    Manfred Asche

  6. Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich, Switzerland

    Simon Degelo

  7. Faculty of International Agriculture and Food Studies, Tokyo University of Agriculture, Sakuragaoka 1-1-1, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, 156-8502, Japan

    Tarô Adati

  8. Rothamsted Research, Harpenden, Hertfordshire, AL5 2JQ, UK

    John A. Pickett

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  1. Shinsaku Koji
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  2. Satoshi Fujinuma
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  3. Charles A. O. Midega
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  4. Hassan M. Mohamed
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  7. Manfred Asche
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  9. Tarô Adati
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  10. John A. Pickett
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  11. Zeyaur R. Khan
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Correspondence to Shinsaku Koji.

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Communicated by T. Haye

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Koji, S., Fujinuma, S., Midega, C.A.O. et al. Seasonal abundance of Maiestas banda (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a vector of phytoplasma, and other leafhoppers and planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) associated with Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) in Kenya. J Pest Sci 85, 37–46 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-011-0376-z

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