Cicadas, Batsch, 1789

Bustillo, Alex, 2015, Part II. Pests, Compendium of Coffee Diseases and Pests, United States of America: The American Phytopathological Society, pp. 45-60 : 51-52

Cicadas

Description and Life History

Cicadas ( Hemiptera : Cicadidae ) commonly infest coffee plantations in Brazil, and at least 10 species have been recorded. The most important species are Quesada gigas (Olivier) , Quesada sodalis (Walker) , Fidicina mannifera (Fabricius) , Fidicina pullata Berg , and Carineta fasciculata (Germar) . These species are pests in the states of Minas Gerais, Sao Paulo, and Parana. Besides being the most important of this group, Q. gigas is the largest in size and also a pest of many other plants. Q. gigas has a wide range of geographical distribution in South America, and it is the best studied species of this group in the South American continent.

For most winged cicadas, membranous wings are held rooflike over the body. All have three ocelli and the antennae arise between, rather than beneath, the eyes. Cicada songs sound buzzy, raspy, or whiney, because their carrier frequencies are less pure and are higher than those of crickets. Cicadas call almost exclusively during daylight hours and at dusk, usually from trees and shrubs. On uncultivated land, the nymphal stage feeds on the roots of indigenous trees. When the bush is cleared and coffee is planted, the larvae move to the coffee roots and feed, causing damage. Nymphs of Q. gigas have been observed up to 50 cm below the ground on the roots. The nymphal stage goes through five instars. They suck the roots and form cavities in the soil around them, creating openings for infections by disease-causing organisms. The lifespan of the nymphal stage of these cicadas varies from 4 up to 17 years depending on the species, but the adult stage lasts 1-3 months. Adults are good fliers and rest on the tops of trees. The female adults mate upon emergence from the soil, attracted by the song of the males, and then lay eggs on the bark of trees. The nymph emerges and drops to the soil, where it searches for the coffee roots to feed upon and complete its development.

Damage

Cicadas are characterized by piercing-sucking mouthparts, and they feed on the sap of the plant root. Cicada nymphs damage the plants, causing chlorosis of the leaves in the apexes of branches, loss of leaves, low production, and death of plants under heavy infestations.

Population Management

Because of the cryptic (hidden) habits of nymphs feeding on the roots of coffee plants, insecticidal treatments are only effective when adults are emerging and have not laid eggs. Monitoring the adult flights should help to program the control activities. An alternative to be considered for nymphal control is the use of entomopathogenic nematodes.