Neophilaenus campestris (Fallén, 1805)
Description & Identification
Adults 5-6mm long
Adults are typically 5 – 6mm long; females are somewhat
larger than males. As with all froghoppers, they have two
stout spines on the outer edge of the hind tibiae, as well as
several smaller spines at the tip. Nymphs are typically pale
yellow in colour with distinctive dark patches on the wing
buds.
Neophilaenus campestris is relatively easily identified by the two pale areas on the outer edge of the wings on an otherwise pale brownish background. There is often a slightly darker mid-line running back from the head.
(Harkin & Stewart, 2019)
Neophilaenus species can be distinguished as adults from Philaenus spumarius by the more parallel outer edges of the wings when viewed from above (as opposed to the more convex outline of P. spumarius) and their overall pattern of markings. They are much smaller than Aphrophora species. (Harkin & Stewart, 2019)
Biology & Ecology
Neophilaenus campestris is a species of dry grasslands, especially those on coastal shingle, sand dunes, brownfield sites, ruderal habitats and waste ground. Its host plants are various species of grass. Females lay eggs singly or in groups in the autumn.
On emergence the following spring, nymphs begin producing the characteristic spittle ‘nests’ which provide protection against predators and desiccation. Spittle can be seen from April to late June. The nymph moults five times within the spittle before emerging as a free-living adult. Adults can be found between June and September.
(Harkin & Stewart, 2019)
Classification
Synonymy
Cercopis campestris Fallén, 1805
Aphrophora parvula Vismara, 1877
Common Names (full list)
Source: Catalogue of Life
Source: Taxon list of Auchenorrhyncha from Germany compiled in the context of the GBOL project
Additional Images
Images provided by GBIF data providers. We cannot verify that identifications are correct.
Worldwide Distribution
UK Status: Present
Neophilaenus campestris is widespread but local in Britain. Its
distribution is strongly southern, with records only as far
north as Yorkshire. (Harkin & Stewart, 2019)
Vector Status
Economic Crops
As with all froghoppers, N. campestris feeds on the liquid contents of the xylem vessels of its host plant. As such, it is a potential vector of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa which has caused the death of many olive trees in southern Europe, although this disease has not been detected in the UK. (Harkin & Stewart, 2019)
Plant Diseases
.
Trivellone, V., 2019.
Hemiptera-Phytoplasma-Plant dataset (v1.2) [Data set]
Jovic, J., Cvrkovic, T., Mitrovic, M., Krnjajic, S., Petrovic, A., Redinbaugh, M.G., Pratt, R.C., Hogenhout, S.A., Tosevski, I. 2009..
Stolbur phytoplasma transmission to maize by Reptalus panzeri and the disease cycle of maize redness in Serbia. Phytopathology, 99(9): 1053-1061
Trivellone, V., 2019.
Hemiptera-Phytoplasma-Plant dataset (v1.2) [Data set]
Riedle-Bauer, M., Tiefenbrunner, W., Otreba, J., Hanak, K., Schildberger, B., Regner, F. 2006. .
Epidemiological observations on Bois noir in Austrian vineyards. Mitteilungen Klosterrneuburg, 56: 166–170
Phytoplasmas
Jovic, J., Cvrkovic, T., Mitrovic, M., Krnjajic, S., Petrovic, A., Redinbaugh, M.G., Pratt, R.C., Hogenhout, S.A., Tosevski, I. 2009. Stolbur phytoplasma transmission to maize by Reptalus panzeri and the disease cycle of maize redness in Serbia. Phytopathology, 99(9): 1053-1061
Riedle-Bauer, M., Tiefenbrunner, W., Otreba, J., Hanak, K., Schildberger, B., Regner, F. 2006. Epidemiological observations on Bois noir in Austrian vineyards. Mitteilungen Klosterrneuburg, 56: 166–170
* Citations of Phytoplasma occurrance in Neophilaenus campestris (Fallén, 1805) have been exctracted from the database of Hemiptera-Phytoplasma-Plant (HPP) biological interactions worldwide (Valeria Trivellone. (2019). Hemiptera-Phytoplasma-Plant dataset (v1.2) [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.2532738).
This work is licensed under a