Host Plant, Phytoplasma, and Reproductive Status Effects on Flight Behavior of Aster Leafhopper (Homoptera: Cicadellidae)

Factors that affect aster leafhopper flight were examined in laboratory and field experiments. In both the laboratory and the field, differences between males and females in flight between plants within or just above the canopy were documented. Host plant and phytoplasma infection had no effect on the within-canopy flight behaviors, which were consistent with reproductive biology for the Cicadellidae. Plant species and size did affect the number of vertical flights out of the canopy. Male aster leafhoppers infected with the phytoplasma moved more frequently than uninfected males between plants, although plant residence times for uninfected and infected males were similar.