Survey of sharpshooters (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) in Oklahoma vineyards and nurseries

We initiated a survey of Cicadellinae in Oklahoma. There exists a diversity of sharpshooters in the United States, but most species lack economic importance. Economically important species are vectors of phytopathogens, in particular, sharpshooters that transmit and spread Xylella fastidiosa Wells et al., a bacterial pathogen of numerous plant species. Xylella fastidiosa is the causative agent of many plant diseases including those of peach and plum, leaf scorch of oleander, almond, elm, oak, and sycamore, and Pierce’s disease of grapes. With a recent confirmation of X. fastidiosa in a symptomatic elm tree in Oklahoma, it is important to determine potential vectors of the bacterium in this state. We sampled five locations including three nurseries and two vineyards in different regions of the state. Yellow sticky traps were used to sample sharpshooter fauna at each location. We found the following sharpshooters in OK vineyards and nurseries: Xyphon flaviceps (Riley), Draeculacephala robinsoni Hamilton, Draeculacephala navicula Hamilton, Graphocephala versuta Say, Graphocephala hieroglyphica atra (Barber), Cuerna costalis (Fabricius), and Oncometopia orbona (Fabricius). In future work, we plan to determine if these insects and plant samples are carrying Xylella fastidiosa and identify the exact strain or strains present in Oklahoma.