First report of corn leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in the USA Midwest Suction Trap Network

Abstract

Corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), is native to Central and South America, but invasive in the United States. This species is a threat to corn, Zea mays L., one of the main crops of economic importance in the US, because it is also a vector of three pathogens responsible for corn stunt diseases complex: corn stunt spiroplasma (CSS), maize bushy stunt phytoplasma (MBSP), and maize rayado fino virus (MRFV). Therefore, monitoring the dispersal of this pest is necessary to document its geographic expansion and anticipate the incidence of corn stunt disease. Based on trap catches obtained from the Midwest Suction Trap Network in 2024, corn leafhopper populations increased late in the growing season in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, and Wisconsin. We will continue to monitor the dispersal of this invasive species through the Midwest Suction Trap Network to provide information to researchers, extension agents, and producers regarding this agronomically important pest.