First report of Erasmoneura vulnerata in Romania and Switzerland and record of damage on grapevine in Italy
The North American grape leafhopper Erythroneura vulnerata (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) was first recorded in North-eastern Italy in 2004, first in Veneto region and then in Friuli-Venezia Giulia. It was also trapped in Emilia-Romagna and Trentino-Alto Adige regions. E. vulnerata remained a minor pest for more than ten years but since 2016 it has caused severe leaf symptoms in commercial vineyards (Vitis vinifera), despite insecticide applications. In Northern Italy, the pest has 3 generations per year. Organic vineyards were more heavily infested by E. vulnerata than conventional vineyards, probably due to the low effectiveness of natural insecticides typically used in organic farms.
In Romania, E. vulnerata was first observed in 2016 on Vitis hybrids and wild Vitis in the Bucharest area and in 2018 in vineyards in the region of Moldova Hills in the eastern part of Romania. It was not trapped in the Western part of the country. In addition, other invasive species were recorded in association with Vitis plants: the Japanese grape leafhopper Arboridia kakogawana (EPPO Alert List), and the Asian leafhopper Phlogotettix cyclops.
In Switzerland, E. vulnerata was trapped in 2019 in vineyards in the southern and central parts of Ticino canton (Southern Switzerland) during surveys for Scaphoideus titanus. Damage on leaves was also observed.
This species was also recorded recently from Serbia (EPPO RS 2021/084).
Sources
Chireceanu C, Bosoi M, Podrumar T, Ghica M, Teodoru A, Chiriloaie-Palade A, Zaharia R (2020) Invasive insect species detected on grapevines in Romania during 2016–2019 and first record of Erasmoneura vulnerata (Fitch, 1851) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Acta Zoologica Bulgarica 72(4), 649-659.
Duso C, Zanettin G, Gherardo P, Pasqualotto G, Raniero D, Rossetto F, Tirello P, Pozzebon A (2020) Colonization patterns, phenology and seasonal abundance of the Nearctic leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata (Fitch), a new pest in European vineyards. Insects 11, 731.
Rizzoli A, Battelli R, Conedera M, Jermini M (2020) First record of Erasmoneura vulnerata Fitch, 1851 (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae) in Switzerland. Alpine Entomology 4, 151-156. https://doi.org/10.3897/alpento.4.53967
Tirello P, Marchesini E, Gherardo P, Raniero D, Rossetto F, Pozzebon A, Duso C (2021) The control of the American Leafhopper Erasmoneura vulnerata (Fitch) in European vineyards: impact of synthetic and natural insecticides. Insects 12(2), 85. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects12020085