Specific composition of cotton leafhoppers in Côte d’Ivoire

Abstract

In recent years, a change in the spatiotemporal profile of leafhopper populations has been observed, resulting in persistent infestations in cotton parcels throughout the crop cycle. The need to investigate the various causes of this change led to the present study, which aimed at identifying the leafhoppers found on cotton in the Ivorian cotton basin. Collections were made in 12 localities of the cotton basin. The identification of these samples revealed the existence of at least three species of leafhoppers. These are Jacobiasca lybica (Bergevin & Zanon, 1922), Empoasca Papayae (Oman, 1937) and Jacobiella fascialis (Dworakowska, 1972). The first two species mentioned were not previously known on cotton in Côte d'Ivoire. The three species cohabit in the same cotton parcels, with a predominance of J. lybica (70 to 97%). This study thus highlights a probable diversity of leafhopper species present on cotton.