New type of corn pest found in southern Brazil

A new species of leafhopper that attacks corn was detected in two more Brazilian states in the southern region, Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, which are two of the largest cereal producers in the country.

The African leafhopper (Leptodelphax maculigera) feeds on corn and wheat crops, causing losses of up to 90% in crops.

One of the discoveries was made by researchers from the State University of Ponta Grossa, being the first official record of this leafhopper in South America.

″The species is probably already present throughout the Brazilian territory,″ warned Professor Orcial Bortolotto, coordinator of the Fazenda Escola Capão da Onça (Fescon-UEPG).

The identification of African leafhopper (Leptodelphax maculigera) specimens was also carried out in Rio Grande do Sul in the monitoring traps of the Cooperative Technical Network (RTC) located in the experimental area of the Cooperativa Central Gaúcha (CCGL).

According to Glauber Renato Stürmer, who is the researcher responsible for the entomology sector at CCGL, the specimens are very similar to the corn planthopper (Dalbulus maidis) and were captured in a sticky trap that attracts the insects due to their color.

The African leafhopper originates from islands close to Africa and can be found on the continent and southern European countries.

On the American continent, the first recorded discovery was made in Brazil in the State of Goiás, with specimens collected and observed from July to November 2022, which attacked elephant grass, corn and beans.

Currently, the insect is known for its potential to transmit phytoplasma stunting, a plant infection caused by bacteria, as well as stripe virus, which reduces grain productivity.

″Additional studies are still needed to prove the ability of this insect to transmit diseases,″ Bortolotto said.

Researcher Glauber Stürmer said that while this is another risk and danger factor, the new species should not be worse than the common leafhopper, which already afflicts Brazilian farmers.

″The same assertive management recommended for Dalbulus maidis will be used for Leptodelphax maculigera, especially as it is very difficult to identify them in the field, due to the small differences when separating one from the other. Therefore, it will be treated as corn leafhopper,″ he said.

The African leafhopper is smaller than D. maidis and has a black spot on the clypeus (front of the head).

According to Bortolotto, producers must monitor their crops and the presence of insects, both the new species and the one already known in the region, Dalbulus maidis.

″It is important for producers to place traps in crops to monitor the arrival of leafhoppers in the field, especially since there are some regions here in Campos Gerais with a high population of leafhoppers in the traps,″ he said in conclusion.

(Editing by Leonardo Gottems, reporter for AgroPages)

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