Dalbulus maidis It is popularly known as corn leafhopper due to its specific relationship with this crop.
Kingdom: Animalia
Division: Arthropods
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera (bedbugs and leafhoppers)
Family: Cicadellidae (leafhoppers)
Genre: Dalbulus
Species: Dalbulus maidis
Crops attacked
Dalbulus maidis is an insect that mainly attacks corn (zea mays), being considered the only suitable host for feeding and reproduction.
However, it can also be found in other grasses, such as teosintes and some species of the genus Tripsacum.
Biology
The corn leafhopper is a small, sucking insect, measuring around 4 mm in length, white to straw-colored, with two black spots between its eyes that facilitate its visual identification.
Females oviposit on corn leaves, and nymphs develop in approximately 20 to 39 days, depending on environmental conditions.
Adults can live about 77 to 106 days, depending on the temperature.
The cigarette D. maidis It does not have diapause, which means it can be active year-round in areas where host plants are available.
The insect goes through five nymphal stages before reaching the adult phase, feeding on the plant's phloem sap. The life cycle is highly influenced by temperature, being shorter in hot climates.
Ecology and characteristics
The reproduction and survival of the leafhopper are influenced by climatic conditions, with temperatures between 27°C and 32°C favoring shorter development cycles.
Relative humidity also plays an important role, with leafhoppers often found in seedling pods, where humidity is higher. Spread occurs mainly through the migration of adults between crops.
The leafhopper has a high dispersal capacity due to its positive phototropic behavior, that is, it is attracted to light. During the day, movement occurs between nearby corn plants, while at night, it can disperse to more distant areas.
The leafhopper population tends to increase throughout the crop cycle, with population peaks close to the flowering of the plants.
Damage
Dalbulus maidis is the main vector of the mollicutes Spiroplasma kunkelii and Maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBS-phytoplasma), which cause pale and red stunt of maize, respectively, and of the Maize rayado fino virus (MRFV).
Damage results in reduced productivity due to shortening of internodes, chlorosis, leaf reddening and ear deformities.
Control
In terms of cultural control, experts recommend:
- Avoid keeping tiguera corn (volunteer plants) in the field, as these perpetuate the population of leafhoppers and pathogens.
- Synchronize planting seasons to avoid insect migration between crops.
- Rotate crops to reduce the vector population.
In biological control, natural enemies are used, such as micro-hymenoptera egg parasitoids (Mymaridae e Trichogrammatidae) and entomopathogenic fungi that attack nymphs and adults.
In terms of chemical control, experts recommend:
- Apply registered insecticides at the initial stage of corn (V3 to V4) and carry out seed treatment.
- Continuous monitoring of populations to ensure application at the appropriate time.
The integrated adoption of these management practices is essential to mitigate the damage caused by Dalbulus maidis and ensure the sustainability of corn production.
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