Metcalfa pruinosa

Metcalfa pruinosa
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Subphylum:	Hexapoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Family:	Flatidae
Genus:	Metcalfa
Species:	M. pruinosa
Binomial name
Metcalfa pruinosa (Say, 1830)

Metcalfa pruinosa, the 'flatid planthopper', is a species of 'planthoppers' belonging to the family Flatidae subfamily Flatinae.

This species is mainly present in Austria, France, Italy, Switzerland, in the Nearctic ecozone and in Neotropical ecozone.

Metcalfa pruinosa aggregation

The adults insects including wings reach approximately 4–7 millimetres (0.16–0.28 in) of length and can mostly be encountered from mid-July until late Autumn, feeding on plant sap in aggregations of many individuals. Adults, but especially larvae and nymphs, are covered with a white epicuticular wax (hence the Latin name pruinosa, meaning frosty).

The basic coloration of the adults is initially whitish, while later is light gray. The large and prominent compound eyes are yellow. The mouthparts are well adapted for piercing and sucking. The trapezoidal forewings are held vertically, wrapping the body when the insect is at rest. Furthermore the wings have several characteristic whitish spots.

When they feed on sap, they eject the excess of sugar in the form of honeydew, that is deposited on plants. Besides other Hymenoptera, the honeydew attracts bees and it is converted into honey, behaviour very much appreciated by beekeepers.

On the contrary Metcalfa pruinosa causes serious damages to field crops, as well to many plants used for ornamental purposes. The host plants of this polyphagous insect are many species of trees and herbaceous plants (especially Acer species, Clematis vitalba, Cornus species, Crataegus species, Ligustrum vulgare, Robinia pseudacacia, Salix species, Sambucus nigra, Ulmus species, etc.).

Among the host plants there are some economically important trees, as Grape Vines (Vitis vinifera), Citrus species, pomes, apricot (Prunus armeniaca), peach (Prunus persica), blackberry (Rubus fruticosus), raspberry (Rubus idaeus), etc..

These planthoppers breed at night around September-October. They have one generation per year. The females lay about 100 eggs, usually in the bark of host plants. Eggs overwinter, hatching in the next mid-May until mid-June.

References

• A. Kahrer - Introduction and possible spread of Metcalfa pruinosa (Cicadina; Flatidae) in Austria - Institut für Pflanzengesundheit, AGES, Spargelfeldstrasse 191, A-1220 Wien, Austria
• Fabrizio Santi, Stefano Maini - Metcalfa pruinosa - DiSTA, Dipartimento Scienze e Tecnologie Agroambientali Area di Entomologia "G. Grandi" – Facoltà di Agraria Università di Bologna - Entom.unibo

External links

• Fauna Europaea
• Biolib
• Ages