New records of leafhoppers from Gujarat

Introduction

Leafhoppers, belonging to the family Cicadellidae under the superfamily Membracoidea, represent one of the most diverse and ecologically significant groups of sap-sucking herbivorous insects within the infraorder Cicadomorpha of the order Hemiptera (Dietrich, 2005; Zhang, 2011) [5,15] . With approximately 20,000 known species globally, Cicadellidae is a dominant and distinctly phytophagous insects feeding on nearly all vascular plant families (Deitz & Dietrich, 1993; Dietrich, 2013) [4,6] . They are characterized by unique morphological traits, such as an enlarged post-clypeus, aristiform antennae and specialized wing venation patterns (Dietrich, 2005) [5] . Leafhoppers cause significant damage to agricultural crops through both direct feeding and indirect transmission of plant pathogens like viruses, bacteria and phytoplasmas, with only 1% of species currently recognized as vectors, reflecting a limited understanding of their ecological roles (Nault & Ammar, 1989; Dietrich, 2013) [10,6] . Notable vector-borne diseases include peach yellow and little leaf of brinjal, caused by Macropsis trimaculata (Fitch) and Hishimonas phycitis (Distant), respectively (Bennett, 1967; Kumar et al., 2017) [2,9] . As part of the "Big Five" insect orders, hemipterans such as leafhoppers are integral to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in agricultural systems (Schuh & Slater, 1995; Kremen et al., 1993) [12,8] . Their diversity study is crucial for knowing their host range, pest prediction, pest status, monitoring and the development of sustainable agricultural practices. Leafhopper species have been documented in various regions of India, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat. However, the leafhopper fauna of Gujarat remains largely unexplored. With this in view, an attempt was made to document leafhoppers from Anand Agricultural University, Anand located in central Gujarat. Anand is bordered to the north by Mahisagar district, to the south by the Gulf of Cambay (Khambhat), to the east by Panchmahal district, to the southeast by Vadodara district, and to the west by Kheda district (Anand Collectorate, 2025) [1] . The campus of Anand Agricultural University supports a diverse range of vegetation, including cultivated agricultural and horticultural crops, medicinal plants, and a diverse of weed and tree species. This study involved leafhopper collection across multiple sites in the Anand campus. Specimens were primarily collected from vegetation and by using light traps. This represents the first systematic survey of its kind in the region and lays the groundwork for future research on local leafhopper diversity.

Materials and Methods

Leafhopper specimens were systematically collected from multiple sites within the AAU campus. Sampling was conducted using standard entomological techniques, including sweeping vegetation with a muslin sweep net during kharif-rabi, 2024-25 and deploying light traps at nocturnal hours during rabi-summer, 2024-25. Specimens were euthanized using potassium cyanide in a killing jar and subsequently pinned on a triangular card and also preserved in 70% ethanol which was sent to taxonomist viz., Yashwanth H. M., Bangalore and Naresh Meshram, Nagpur for identification. Attempt was made to identify leafhoppers using taxonomic keys given by Dietrich, 2005 and also from website, Auchenorrhyncha database (https://hoppers.speciesfile.org/). Each specimen was labeled with data, including locality, collection date, collector's name and host plant (when identifiable). Microscopic examination was performed for morphological analysis and high-resolution images were captured for documentation and comparative study.

Results and Discussion

In the current study, out of thirteen leafhoppers collected, three leafhopper species were first report from Gujarat. Their morphological characters which can be shown are provided in plates and redescribed from previous researches. Their taxonomic hierarchy also provided with their distribution, host plants and season of collection. Redescription: Yellowish green to brownish in overall appearance. Pronotum and vertex without orange-red to brownish longitudinal markings. The head is as wide as the pronotum. The crown is short with a weakly angulate anterior margin. Ocelli are situated at the anterior margin of the crown and are visible from above. The pronotum is significantly longer than the crown, with short and divergent lateral margins that may sometimes be longer; carina is absent. The posterior margin is either straight (transverse) or slightly concave. Forewing elongated possessing two subapical cells and four apical cells (Shah et al., 2023) [13] .

Systematic Position

Distribution: Worldwide distribution including India. In India, it is recorded from various locations including Tamil Nadu, Tripura and Assam.

Host plant(s):

Mainly grasses and rice (Oryza sativa L.). [13] .

Season of collection:

Distribution: It is basically native to Sri Lanka and India later rapidly spread to Australia, various Asian islands, Southeast Asia, Japan, the eastern Mediterranean, and several African nations in the Old World. In the New World, it has been recorded in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Central America, Hawaii, and more recently, in Texas, USA.

Host plant(s): Mainly grasses

Season of collection: November to February i.e., rabi (2024-25)

Method of collection: Light trap

ii) Genus: Cicadulina, China 1926 (Fig. 3) Common name: Maize leafhopper Redescription: Body coloration ranges from pale yellow to a more intense golden yellow hue. Certain species exhibit black markings on the forewings, pronotum and ventral surface. The dorsal abdominal region typically presents a brown pigmentation. The majority of species exhibit a pair of circular brown spots located on the anterior margin of the crown. Sexual dimorphism is evident, with the female Cicadulina characterized by an elongated ovipositor distinguishing it from the male (Bosque-Perez and Alam, 1992) [3] . Distribution: Found in India, Iran, South Africa, Kazakisthan, Sweden, Namibia, Tanzenia, Yemen, Ethiopia, Ukraine. It is found throughout India. [11] .

Host plant(s):

Distribution: India, China, Australia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines and Taiwan. In India, it is found in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Kashmir. [11] .

Host plant(s): Mainly grasses

Distribution: India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand etc. In India, it is widely distributed across various states including Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Mizoram, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal

Host plant(s): Mainly grasses

Redescription:

The head is narrower than the pronotum when viewed from above, and the crown (top part of the head) is strongly extended forward, forming a sharp angle in the middle. The ocelli (simple eyes) are either absent or only vestigial. The face appears depressed in profile, slanting less than 45° from the horizontal, giving it a flattened appearance. The anteclypeus is narrow in both males and females. The front femur has a row of setae with one basal seta distinctly larger than the others, while the back ventral row lacks fine basal setae. In male genitalia, the pygofer apex does not reach the tip of the subgenital plate. The subgenital plates are free and have an angulate subbasal projection along the lateral margin. The section of the plate before the medial constriction is shorter than the section after it. Four basal macrosetae are arranged in a single row along the margin and there is a continuous row of small, rigid subbasal setae. Coloration is highly variable among species and even within species. Most are generally white or yellow, often marked with orange, reddish or brownish diagonal stripes (vittae) that either form a continuous zigzag pattern or appear as separated flecks. Some species have crossbands and the forewing frequently has dark spots on the costal margin, near the apex of the second apical cell and at the base of the inner apical cell (Dmitirv and Dietrich, 2007) [7] . Distribution: India, China, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand etc. In India, it is distributed in Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, West Bengal and Arunachal Pradesh.

Conclusion

The present survey represents the first systematic documentation of leafhopper diversity from Anand Agricultural University, Gujarat, contributing valuable baseline data on this ecologically and agriculturally important insect group. Out of the thirteen specimens collected, six species were recorded for the first time from the state, thereby expanding the known distribution of these taxa in India. The results revealed that leafhoppers in the region are closely associated with major crops such as rice, maize, bajra, soybean, cowpea and redgram indicating their potential impact on local agroecosystems. As several leafhopper species are known vectors of plant pathogens, documenting their diversity is essential for pest prediction, monitoring and the development of sustainable management strategies. Further systematic surveys across different agroclimatic zones of Gujarat, coupled with molecular identification and pathogen transmission studies, are recommended to build a comprehensive understanding of leafhopper biodiversity and their ecological significance.

References

1. Anand Collectorate. Government of Gujarat. [cited 2025 May 12]. Available from: https://anand.gujarat.gov.in/about-anand
2. Bennett CW. Epidemiology of leafhopper-transmitted viruses. Annu Rev Phytopathol. 1967;5(1):87-108.
3. Bosque-Perez NA, Alam MS. Mass rearing of Cicadulina leafhoppers to screen for maize streak virus resistance: a manual. 1st ed. Ibadan (Nigeria): International Institute of Tropical Agriculture; 1992.
4. Deitz LL, Dietrich CH. Superfamily Membracoidea (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha): introduction and revised classification with new family-group taxa. Syst Entomol. 1993;18(4):287-296.
5. Dietrich CH. Keys to the families of Cicadomorpha and subfamilies and tribes of Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Fla Entomol. 2005;88(4):502-517.
6. Dietrich CH. Overview of the phylogeny, taxonomy and diversity of the leafhopper (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadomorpha: Membracoidea: Cicadellidae) vectors of plant pathogens. Presented at: International Symposium on Insect Vectors and InsectBorne Diseases; 2013; Taiwan. Available from: https://scholars.tari.gov.tw/bitstream/123456789/5833/1 /no173-4.pdf
7. Typhlocybinae), genera Erythroneura, Erasmoneura, Eossmoneura and Eymetta. Ill Nat Hist Surv Bull. 2007;38(2):59-128.
8. Kremen C, Colwell RK, Erwin TL, Murphy DD, Noss RA, Sanjayan MA. Terrestrial arthropod assemblages: their use in conservation planning. Conserv Biol. 1993;7(4):796-808.
9. Kumar M, Madhupriya, Rao GP. Molecular characterization, vector identification and sources of phytoplasmas associated with brinjal little leaf disease in India. 3 Biotech. 2017;7:1-11.
10. Nault LR, Ammar ED. Leafhopper and planthopper transmission of plant viruses. Annu Rev Entomol. 1989;34(1):503-529.
11. Naveed H, Shah B, Khan BS, Cao C, Webb M, Zhang Y. Checklist and keys to Deltocephalinae leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Pakistan. Zookeys. 2021;1078:135-188.
12. Schuh RT, Slater JA. True bugs of the world (Hemiptera: Heteroptera): classification and natural history. London: Cornell University Press; 1995.
13. Shah B, Hassan MA, Naveed H, Khan A, Shakeel M, Duan Y. Taxonomic notes on the leafhopper genus Balclutha Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from Pakistan with a new country record. J Insect Biodivers. 2023;43(2):57-67.
14. World Auchenorrhyncha database. 3I identification of leafhoppers. 2024. Available from: https://hoppers.speciesfile.org/
15. Zhang ZQ. Animal biodiversity: an introduction to higher-level classification and taxonomic richness. Auckland (New Zealand): Magnolina Press; 2011.