Family Delphacidae

Subfamily Delphacinae

Tribe Delphacini

 

Distribution: Cosmopolitan (found everywhere), although most abundant in tropical and warm temperate regions.

 

Type species (in original combination): Delphax maidis Ashmead, 1890

 

Recognized species:

Two recognized species worldwide as follows:

Peregrinus maidis (Ashmead, 1890) (the corn planthopper) - Widely distributed (everywhere corn is grown).

Peregrinus iocasta (Fennah, 1958) - Africa

 

Recorded hosts

Peregrinus maidis is reported from corn (the primary host), Johnsongrass (Sorghum halepense), and Kola. 

Peregrinus iocasta has no reported hosts.

Economic importance

Peregrinus maidis is a vector of Finger millet mosaic virus (FMMV), Iranian maize mosaic virus (IMMV), Maize sterile stunt virus (MSSV), and Maize stripe virus (MSV).  It is a very common and mobile species that is frequently found at lights considerable distances from likely host plants.  See also here (Leafhopper, Planthopper & Psyllid vectors of plant disease).

Peregrinus iocasta has no apparent economic importance, although specimens may be abundant at lights.

Recognition

Peregrinus maidis is a very distinctive species.  It is larger than many delphacids with slightly patterned wings and a pale stripe along the midline of the body; the middle carina of the face is forked well below the top of of the head in frontal view. Also, when viewing the specimen from the front, the face is often straw-colored near the top of the head and darker on lower portions of the face.  On host plants, short-winged forms can be very abundant.

Photo courtesy Lindsey Flexner, Daniel Vincent; Insect Resistance Management Science, Dupont Agricultural Biotechnology.

 

Additional photos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Peregrinus_maidis_from_USDA.jpg
http://visualsunlimited.photoshelter.com/image/I0000M_UAYDvD_wA
http://www.nbaii.res.in/Pestsofcrops/Peregrinus-maidis.html

I have no photos of the African Peregrinus iocasta, but it is quite different from P. maidis.  Photos will be posted when they are available.

 

Molecular resources

Some sequence data is available for Peregrinus maidis in Genbank (taxonomic search here).  BOLD does not report any barcode data available (viz. here), although that seems unlikely.  Urban et al. (2010) sequenced 18S, 28S, Wg, and COI.

 

Select references

Ammar, E.D., L.R. Nault, W.E. Styer, and Y.M. Saif. 1987. Staphylococcus, paramyxovirus-like, rickettsia-like and other structures in Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera, Delphacidae). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 49(2): 209-217.

Buduca, C., S. Reynaud, D. Lan-Sun-Luk, and F. Molinaro. 1996. Electrical penetration graphs from Peregrinus maidis on a susceptible maize hybrid. Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 79(2): 131-139.

Falk, B.W., K.S. Kim, and J.H. Tsai. 1988.Electron microscope and physiochemical analysis of a reo-like virus of the planthopper Peregrinus maidis. Intervirology 29:195-206.

Falk, B.W. and J.H. Tsai. 1985. Serological detection and evidence for multiplication of maize mosaic virus in the Planthopper, Peregrinus maidis. Phytopathology 75(7): 852-855

Fernandez, B.A. 1988. Description e identification de los huevos e instares de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Memoria de la Sociedad De Ciencias Naturales la Salle 48(129): 117-125.

Fernandez, B.A. 1989. El nombre valido de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Boletin de Entomologia Venezolana 5(4): 37-38.

Fernandez, B.A. 1992. Morfologia de los adultos de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Memoria de la Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales la Salle 52(137): 17-35.

Fernandez, B.A., and A.S. Clavijo. 1990. Polimorfismo alar de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae) en Venezuela. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomia (Maracay) 16(1: 27-33.

Fernandez, B.A. and A.S. Clavijo. 1990. Muestreo de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae), en Venezuela. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomia (Maracay) 16(3-4): 259-263.

Fernandez, B.A. and A.S. Clavijo. 1990. Biologia de la chicharrita del maiz, Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae), en Venezuela. Revista de la Facultad de Agronomia (Maracay) 16(1): 35-45.

Fernandez, B.A. and A.S. Clavijo. 1990. Dinamica poblacional de la chicharrita del maiz Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae) en Venezuela. Agronomia Tropical (Maracay) 39(4-6): 311-317.

Marin, L. R. and J. Sarmiento. 1983. Biologia y secuencia estacional de Peregrinus maidis (Ashmead) (Homoptera: Araeopidae). Revista Peruana de Entomologia 24(1) : 107-111.

Nault, L.R. and D.T. Gordon. 1988. Multiplication of maize stripe virus in Peregrinus maidis. Physopathology 78: 991-995.

Singh, B.U. and B.S. Rana. 1992. Stability of resistance to corn planthopper, Peregrinus maidis (Ashmead) in sorghum germplasm. Insect Science and Its Application 13(2): 251-263.

Tsai, J.H. 1996. Development and oviposition of Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae) on various host plants. Florida Entomologist 79(1): 19-26.

Tsai, J.H. and J.L. Perrier. 1993. Morphology of the digestive and reproductive systems of Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Florida Entomologist 76 (3): 428-436.

Tsai, J.H. and S.W. Wilson. 1986. Biology of Peregrinus maidis with descriptions of immature stages. Annals of the Entomological Society of America 79(3): 395-401.

Tsai, J.H., S.W. Wilson, and H.C. Faan. 1986. Peregrinus maidis (Homoptera: Delphacidae) from southern China. Journal of the New York Entomological Society 94(3): 442-443.

Varon-de-Agudelo, F. and G.M. Lopez. 1980. Observaciones preliminares sobre la transmission de virus con Peregrinus maidis. Revista Colombiana de Entomologia 6(3-4): 69-76.

Wilson, S.W. and J.H. Tsai. 1984. Descriptions of the immature stages and biology of Peregrinus maidis (Ashmead) (Homoptera: Delphacidae). Mitteilungen Schweizerischen Entomologischen Gesellschaft 57: 450-451.