Abundance and diversity of leafhoppers associated with newly established primocane blackberry and raspberry plantings in central Kentucky

Many hemipteran insects feeding on blackberry and raspberry plantings may cause direct feeding damage or transmit pathogens that cause diseases. Leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) are insect pests of blackberries and raspberries in Kentucky and the surrounding region. Leafhoppers cause damage by feeding on blackberry and raspberry foliage causing distorted growth at shoot tips, leaf margin curling, and yellowing. Some leafhopper and aphid species have also been implicated as vectors of Rubus spp. pathogens. Recently, a study examining regional suitability of newly released primocane fruiting blackberries and raspberries for production by Kentucky’s small farmers was initiated by Kentucky State University Horticulture Researchers. A component of that study is to assess leafhopper species and abundance on particular bramble varieties. Yellow sticky traps 15 x 15 cm were deployed at five sites near six different raspberry and blackberry varieties grown in Fayette, Franklin, and Shelby Counties, Kentucky. Traps were deployed and replaced weekly from July through September, 2012. Traps were returned to the laboratory where leafhoppers were identified and enumerated using an illuminated magnifying ring and a dissecting microscope. Trap catches for five sampling periods will be presented to illustrate leafhopper abundance and diversity. We found that site had a significant effect on leafhopper diversity, but bramble variety did not; and leafhopper count declined over time. Large areas of grass and pastureland surrounding the blackberry and raspberry plantings could have contributed to the large number of leafhoppers caught in three counties in central Kentucky in the summer of 2012.