Feeding injury, oviposition and nymphal survivorship of the potato leafhopper was measured on two red maple clones, a Freeman maple cultivar, two elm cultivars and an American elm clonal selection and related to the leaf content of important nutritional elements. More eggs were laid and more nymphs became adults on American and Patriot elms, than on the other clones. The mean number of eggs laid was not significantly different among the maple clones, yet, nymphal survivorship was significantly higher on red maple 56026 than on the other maple clones. While the number of eggs laid was linearly related to foliar nitrogen and phosphorus, survival of nymphs to adulthood was linearly related to foliar nitrogen. While none of the elms showed any evidence of feeding injury, the maple trees varied from tolerant (i.e., Indian Summer) to susceptible (i.e., red maple 56026). Resistance against the potato leafhopper among maples and elms is influenced, in part, by the nutritional content of the leaves. Yet, feeding injury is not a good indicator of host resistance against the potato leafhopper.
Species 1: Homoptera Cicadellidae Empoasca fabae (potato leafhopper)
Keywords: feeding injury, foliar nutrients
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA