Agalliana sticticollis (Stal)

Description & Identification

Small, somewhat linear species. male 3.00—3.50 mm., female 2.90—3.30 mm. (Nielson, 1968)General color light brown or tan with black markings on crown, pronotum, and elytra; crown tan to light brown with two black spots on anterior margin, black markings near inner margin of eye in males; pronotum tan with numerous black specks and dark markings scattered on surface especially in males; elytra light brown to gray, veins light brown to dark brown; cornmissure with dark brown or black stripes between claval veins, claval veins along commissure white or ivory.(Nielson, 1968)Pygofer in lateral aspect about as long as wide, caudal margin nearly truncate; 10th segment with pair of spines, bifurcate apically; aedeagus in lateral aspect simple, shaft tube-like, with pair of short, curved, subapical lateral processes; gonopore apical; style in dorsal aspect bibbed apically, constricted medially, ventral lobe of style triangulate distally, constricted medially, somewhat rounded apically; female 7th sternum in ventral aspect with caudal margin broadly and deeply excavated medially, medial margin wrinkled (Nielson, 1968)This species, related to ensigera, can be separated easily by the bifurcate spine on the 10th segment.(Nielson 1968)

Biology & Ecology

Little is known of the biology of this species. Costa (147) reported it abundant on many cultivated plants in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. It was reared on sunflower with excellent results, but did not feed well on tomato nor was it able to breed on this plant. (Nielson, 1968)

Worldwide Distribution

It is known only from South America and islands of the Caribbean. Oman in 1934 [578] recorded it from the States of Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Matto Grosso, Amazonas, and Pernambuca, Brazil; and the territory of Misiones, Argentina. Oman (1933) also reported it from British Guiana, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Vincent, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and Cuba. (Nielson, 1968)

Vector Status

Economic Crops

This species is a vector of the solanacearum strain of Brazilian curly top virus of tomato in Brazil. It was erroneously determined as the vector of Argentine curly top virus of sugarbeet in the early work of Fawcett (254) and Severin and Henderson (712). Transmission of tomato curly top virus (var. solanacearum) was first reported by Costa in 1952 (147) in Brazil. The species was not an efficient vector of the virus owing to its inability to feed well on tomato plants. It is not considered an important vector of this virus.(Nielson 1968)The entire complex of curly top viruses infecting tomato and sugarbeets in Brazil and Argentina should be restudied using all vectors involved. Tests are particularly important on whether sticticollis is capable of transmitting Argentine curly top virus of sugarbeet(Nielson 1968)

Plant Diseases