the spittle Aeneolamia varies It is a pest of economic importance in the cultivation of sugarcane in Valle del Cauca. This insect, in the nymph state, feeds on the roots of the plant, while the adult sucks the sap from the leaves.
The severe attack of the spittlebug limits the development of the plant, generating production losses. In Venezuela where a. varies It is one of the main pests of the sugarcane crop, there are 25% decreases in yield due to the attack between 6 and 9 months of age.
Since the detection of spittlebug in sugarcane in Valle del Cauca (2007), populations have moved between the center and north of the region, identifying in 2019 severe attacks between Cartago and Palmira.
During 2021, the presence of the plague was detected in the municipality of Pradera where it has been necessary to implement shock measures to control the increase in the population; in the second semester of 2021, the presence of adult spittlebugs was recorded in the north of the department of Cauca in the municipalities of Padilla, Villa Rica and Puerto Tejada.
The appearance of the spittlebug occurs mainly in the transition periods from dry to rainy seasons. In March and April 2022, the Cauca river valley region presents the first rainy season of the year, so it is necessary to be alert to the increase in spittlebug populations and to detect the presence of this pest in new areas. It is recommended to carry out permanent monitoring of spittlebugs in the crop through the installation and weekly monitoring of surveillance traps (yellow sticky trap), in areas devoid of the pest (1trap/20ha). Early detection of the spittlebug will allow making timely decisions for the management of the pest and thus avoid losses in the crop.
For further information on the pest and its management:
Informative Series No.12
Biological control of spittlebug. Aeneolamia varies (F.). (Hemiptera: Cercopidae). Use of the mushroom Metarhikum anisopliae (Metsch.) Sorokin
Book
Biological Control of Pest Insects and Beneficial Organisms of Sugar Cane Cultivation in Colombia
Quarterly Letter No.2 and 3 of 2007
Spittlebug Management Aeneolamia varies in sugarcane crops in the Cauca river valley 2007
Informative Letter No.1 of 2017
Management of spittlebug populations Aeneolama varies. 2017