The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius L. (1758) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is the main vector of the plant pathogen bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in Europe. Effective disease containment strategies are mainly based on uprooting infected plants and control of the vectors. The vector control strategy focuses on suppressing juveniles in the herbaceous cover and preventing colonization of the olive canopy by newly-emerged adults. The design and implementation of vector control strategies can take advantage of properly calibrated population models describing and predicting the phenology and abundance of P. spumarius populations in agroecosystems. We developed a temperature-driven physiological-based model to predict the phenology and population dynamics of P. spumarius. We parametrized model functions describing the diapause termination and age-distribution of overwintering individuals, and the temperature-dependent development and mortality rates by integrating data collected in lab experiments and literature. The model has been calibrated and validated with field data collected in Northern and Southern Italy (in the Liguria and Apulia regions). The model can be used for a proper definition of effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to control P. spumarius populations and thus to support Xylella fastidiosa containment.
A PHYSIOLOGICALLY-BASED POPULATION MODEL OF PHILAENUS SPUMARIUS
Bodino N;Cavalieri V
2023
Abstract
The meadow spittlebug, Philaenus spumarius L. (1758) (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae), is the main vector of the plant pathogen bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in Europe. Effective disease containment strategies are mainly based on uprooting infected plants and control of the vectors. The vector control strategy focuses on suppressing juveniles in the herbaceous cover and preventing colonization of the olive canopy by newly-emerged adults. The design and implementation of vector control strategies can take advantage of properly calibrated population models describing and predicting the phenology and abundance of P. spumarius populations in agroecosystems. We developed a temperature-driven physiological-based model to predict the phenology and population dynamics of P. spumarius. We parametrized model functions describing the diapause termination and age-distribution of overwintering individuals, and the temperature-dependent development and mortality rates by integrating data collected in lab experiments and literature. The model has been calibrated and validated with field data collected in Northern and Southern Italy (in the Liguria and Apulia regions). The model can be used for a proper definition of effective Integrated Pest Management strategies to control P. spumarius populations and thus to support Xylella fastidiosa containment.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
