Seasonal phenology and damage by Singapora shinshana (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and other leafhoppers on ornamental trees in Korea

Abstract Singapora shinshana is a leafhopper native to mid‐Asia with a specific host range and is one of the least studied species within the genus. Recently, the species has been found to cause significant damage to host plants including ornamental trees, normally inflicted by its sucking behavior. This study uncovered more details on host and season preference of S. shinshana, damage potential and symptoms caused by its feeding behavior on ornamental trees in Korea, in addition to other records of other leafhoppers of economic importance. During the sticky trap survey period from 2017 to 2019, 12 leafhopper species were recovered from the eight selected ornamental tree species. Singapora shinshana was the most dominant species, constituting 94.8% of the total collected leafhopper population; with its highest incidence observed on Prunus serrulata, followed by Elaeagnus umbellata and Pseudocydonia sinensis. The high abundance on P. serrulata correlated with high damaged leaf percentages of 94.2%, 95.2%, and 98.1% in October 2017, 2018, and 2019, respectively. Interestingly, in terms of damaged leaf percentage, Rosa hybrida and Zelkova serrata were the second and third most damaged hosts despite the significantly lower population of the leafhopper on these trees. Furthermore, S. shinshana counts increased from late‐July to late‐September, with the peak evident during early August. Prunus serrulata can therefore be taken as one of the main host plants of S. shinshana. However, the potential of the host to suffer damage is not limited to population densities of the pest alone but also susceptibility and tolerance of the host plant.