Laboratory rearing of Abidama liuensis (Hemiptera: Cercopidae) and description of immature stages

Because it is an important pest of rice, Abidama liuensis Metcalf is well documented in terms of its bioecology and control. However, there are few studies on the biology of this pest. In this study, a technique was developed for rearing this insect under laboratory conditions (26 ± 2°C; 75 ± 3% RH; and 12L : 12D photoperiod) and its immature stages are described. Egg development is divided into four stages, of which S1 took the longest time (accounting for 11.70% of total developmental time); 90% of the eggs that completed S2, hatched. Nymphal instars can be distinguished by body size, colour and other morphological features. Total developmental period of immature stages was approximately 50 d, with the averages of the fi ve stadia 5.18, 4.33, 5.28, 10.41 and 8.5 days, respectively. Using this rearing technique, it is possible to rear A. liuensis throughout the year, which will facilitate further ecological, behavioural and molecular studies and the development of ways of controlling this insect in the fi eld. * Corresponding author; e-mail: liangap@ioz.ac.cn INTRODUCTION Cercopidae (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cercopoidea) is the largest family of xylem-sap sucking insects, with about 1500 described species in 150 genera recorded in the temperate, tropical and subtropical regions of the world (Carvalho & Webb, 2005; Soulier-Perkins & Kunz, 2012). Most nymphs of Cercopidae are commonly known as spittlebugs, due to the foam they produce (Paladini & Cavichioli, 2015) and the adults feed on leaves or stems of a wide variety of plants (Vinton et al., 2006). The genus Abidama, which currently includes eight species (Zhou & Wu, 1987), was established by Distant (1908) for Sphenorhina producta Walker. Abidama liuensis (Metcalf, 1961) that was placed in this genus by Distant (1908) is an important pest of rice and maize, and was fi rst reported in the southwest of Anhui province in China in 1988. In recent years, it has also been reported from Zhejiang, Fujian, Guizhou, Hubei and Henan provinces (Zhou & Wu, 1987). During almost the whole of its development on rice, this insect ingests essential nutrients by sucking the stems, which can result in serious damage (up to 80% reduction in production) (Guan & Zuo, 1991). Eur. J. Entomol. 118: 82–89, 2021 doi: 10.14411/eje.2021.010