Abstract

FOIERI, Alvaro; VIRLA, Eduardo G.  and  MARINO DE REMES LENICOV, Ana M.. New host plants records for the froghopper Notozulia entreriana (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) with new data on its occurrence in diverse ecological zones in Argentina. Rev. Soc. Entomol. Argent. [online]. 2015, vol.74, n.1-2, pp.79-84. ISSN 0373-5680.

Spittlebugs represent a widely distributed group of Auchenorrhyncha, being one of the most important assemblies affecting farming and cattle rising in the Neotropics. They attack a wide range of forage species causing considerable deterioration in the quality of pastures that sustain livestock production, particularly in northern and central Argentina. In Argentina, there are no studies integrating the taxonomy and biology of spittlebugs and only a few taxonomic contributions dating back to early past century do exist. Notozulia entreriana (Berg, 1879) is one of the most common spittlebug species inhabiting the subtropical region of the country but it was previously cited for only three Argentinian localities. Throughout the study of specimens housed in Museo de La Plata collection and field captured specimens, we analyzed its distributional range and associated plants. We extend the distribution of N. entreriana to fifteen different provinces, and new host plant records in Argentina are given. Its populations are associated to sugar cane, pangola grass, guinea grass, Johnson grass, Rhodes grass and Bermuda grass, but we stated that Bermuda grass, Johnson grass and Rhodes grass are true "Host-plants", where this froghopper completes its immature to adult life cycle.

Keywords : Auchenorrhyncha; Host plants; Geographical distribution; Grass.