Developmental Biology of the Leafhopper, Scaphytopius nitridus (Homoptera: Cicadellidae), with Notes on Distribution, Hosts, and Interspecific Breeding

The developmental biology of Scaphytopius nitridus DeLong, a vector of Spiroplasma citri, the causative organism of stubborn disease of citrus in California and Arizona, was studied in the greenhouse. Nymphs required 40.02 days or 15,460 heat units to complete development. The mean number of nymphs produced per female was 113.6; the maximum was 353. Adults produced progeny up to 77 days and lived as long as 156 days. Population of S. nitridus and S. californiensis Hepner failed to interbreed, indicating that the two species are distinct. New distribution and host records are provided.