Biosecurity threat, not present in Australia
Amritodus atkinsoni (Lethierry)
Mango leafhopper
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
Amritodus atkinsoni (Lethierry, 1889)
Common Name: Mango leafhopper
Subfamily: Idiocerinae
Distribution: Pakistan, India, Myanmar (Burma), Bangladesh
Economic Status: In terms of economic host plants, Amritodus atkinsoni feeds on fig, ceriman and mango. The species damages stems, leaves and florets through feeding or egg-laying which reduces fruit-set. In addition, the copious honeydew from the leafhoppers causes outbreaks of sooty mould, reducing the plant’s ability to photosynthesize and affecting plant vigour and fruit production.
Notes: There is some confusion over the biogeography of this species with records from Japan and Sri Lanka. The former record is doubtful while the latter record is likely to have been a misidentification of Amritodus brevistylus. In Australia there are no species of Amritodus present but there are many described species of Idiocerinae with which A. atkinsoni could be confused (see list of Australian Idiocerinae). It is important to highlight that two other species of exotic mango leafhopper, Idioscopus nitidulus and I. clypealis, have established in northern Australia and are treated in these keys.
Further information can be found here https://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/Datasheet.aspx?dsid=4999
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Images: Arian Suresh Kumar February 2016 (used with permission) https://www.flickr.com/photos/ansk/25502329036/in/photostream/ |