The Glassy-winged sharpshooter (GWSS), Homalodisca coagulata (Say) (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) has been reported as a vector of Pierce’s disease in grapevines, phony peach disease, almond leaf scorch and oleander leaf scorch. Because the GWSS is very mobile and occurs throughout the year, it’s extremely important to know its movements to better understand the control and spread of the diseases. We developed a mark-release-recapture technique to track field movements of adult GWSS using fluorescent colored dyes as a marker. Greenhouse trials showed no significant difference in mortality and longevity of marked and unmarked (control) adults. Monitoring of adult GWSS spatial movements were conducted in a barren field, and from/to citrus and grape fields. The results and implications of this study are provided.
Species 1: Homoptera Cicadellidae Homalodisca coagulata (Glassy-winged sharpshooter, GWSS)
Species 2: Xylella fastidiosa (Pierce's disease)
Keywords: mark-release-recapture techniques, dispersal
The ESA 2001 Annual Meeting - 2001: An Entomological Odyssey of ESA