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Vol 4(1) 

Vouchers for treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) collected in 2018 from Jackson 
County, Oregon

Mariana Stowasser1, Richard J. Hilton1, Dennis D. Kopp2, Daniel T. Dalton3, and Vaughn M. Walton3

1Southern Oregon Research and Extension Center, Oregon State University, Central Point, OR 
2Volunteer Curator, Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C. 
3Department of Horticulture, Oregon State University

Cite this work as: 

Stowasser M.,  R. J. Hilton, D. D. Kopp, D. T. Dalton and V. M. Walton. 2020. Vouchers for treehoppers (Hemiptera: Mebracidae) 
collected in 2018 from Jackson County, Oregon. Catalog: Oregon State Arthropod Collection. 4(1) p. 8—12.   
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5399/osu/cat_osac.4.1.4651.

In 2016, research scientists at University of California-Davis found that the insect species Spissistilus 
festinus (Say) (Hemiptera: Membracidae: Smiliinae: Ceresini), a treehopper native to southeast North 
America and now found across the continent, is a competent vector of Grapevine red blotch virus 
(GRBV) under greenhouse conditions (Bahder et al. 2016). Subsequently, Oregon State University 
researchers determined that GRBV was present in viticultural regions of Oregon and was found to 
be spreading in multiple locations (Dalton et al. 2019). It is known more generally in vector ecology 
that a narrow taxonomic group is typically capable of transmitting a particular virus (Whitfield et 
al. 2015). Taken together, these observations gave credence to the possibility of a smiliine treehopper 
acting as the agent responsible for the observed spread of GRBV in Oregon wine grape vineyards.

Insect trapping surveys were conducted in southern Oregon to determine the composition of 
treehopper species in areas of commercial wine grape production. Multiple morphotypes were 
discovered in an alfalfa field near Central Point, Oregon, on two dates in late July 2018. Voucher 
specimens were sent to Dr. Dennis Kopp, Volunteer Curator of Hemiptera at the Smithsonian 
National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D. C., who identified them to species based on 
external morphology and characters on the male genitalia. Three specimens of S. festinus (Fig. 1) were 
collected by Mariana Stowasser using a sweep net on 21 July 2018. Sweep net samples by the same 
collector on 27 July 2018 revealed the presence of Stictocephala bisonia (Kopp & Yonke) (Fig. 2) and 
Tortistilus albidosparsus (Stal) (Fig. 3). 

This publication documents the deposition of exemplar specimens for these species in a public 
research collection. All of the specimens were assigned unique identifiers that were then printed as 
human-readable and a 2D matrix codes on acid free labels affixed to the specimens and deposited in 
the Oregon State Arthropod Collection on 6 November 2019 (Table 1).

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a

b

Figure 1. Oregon State Arthropod Collection (OSAC) voucher specimens: (a) 
Spissistilus festinus female, OSAC_0001229067, (b) male, OSAC_0001229069, 
abdomen removed. Scalebar = 1 mm. 



Catalog: Oregon State Arthropod Collection   

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b

Figure 2. Oregon State Arthropod Collection (OSAC) voucher 
specimens: (a) Stictocephala bisonia female, OSAC_0001229075; (b) 
male, OSAC_0001229071, abdomen removed. Scalebar = 1 mm.

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Catalog: Oregon State Arthropod Collection   

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a

b

Figure 3. Oregon State Arthropod Collection (OSAC) voucher 
specimens: (a) Tortistilus albidosparsus female, OSAC_0001229080; (b)
male, OSAC_0001229079, abdomen removed. Scalebar = 1 mm. 

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Catalog: Oregon State Arthropod Collection   

Acknowledgements:
 
Supported by:  
California Department of Food and Agriculture (agreement#: 2017-0418-000-SA) and Oregon Wine Board. 
Contents of this publication do not necessarily represent the official views of funding sources. 

References:

Bahder B. W., F. G. Zalom, M. Jayanth, and M. R. Sudarshana. 2016. Phylogeny of geminivirus coat 
protein sequences and digital PCR aid in identifying Spissistilus festinus as a vector of 
Grapevine red blotch-associated virus. Phytopathology 106(10):1223-1230.  
https://doi.org/10.1094/PHYTO-03-16-0125-FI.

Dalton D. T., R. J. Hilton, C. Kaiser, K. M. Daane, M. R. Sudarshana, J. Vo, F. G. Zalom, J. Z. Buser, 
and V. M. Walton. 2019. Spatial associations of vines infected with Grapevine red blotch 
virus in Oregon vineyards. Plant Disease 103(7):1507-1514.  
https://doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-08-18-1306-RE.

Whitfield A. E., B. W. Falk, and D. Rotenberg. 2015. Insect vector-mediated transmission of plant 
viruses. Virology 479/480: 278—289. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.virol.2015.03.026.

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Specimen# Species Sex Date
0001229067 Spissistilus festinus female 21 July 2018
0001229068 Spissistilus festinus female 21 July 2018
0001229069 Spissistilus festinus male 21 July 2018
0001229070 Stictocephala bisonia male 27 July 2018
0001229071 Stictocephala bisonia male 27 July 2018
0001229072 Stictocephala bisonia female 27 July 2018
0001229073 Stictocephala bisonia female 27 July 2018
0001229074 Stictocephala bisonia female 27 July 2018
0001229075 Stictocephala bisonia female 27 July 2018
0001229076 Stictocephala bisonia female 27 July 2018
0001229077 Stictocephala bisonia male 27 July 2018
0001229078 Stictocephala bisonia male 27 July 2018
0001229079 Tortistilus albidosparsus male 27 July 2018
0001229080 Tortistilus albidosparsus female 27 July 2018

Table 1. List of voucher specimens.  All were collected on 
Medicago sativa, in Jackson County, Oregon (42.389° N 122.940° W) 
by M. Stowasser and determined by D. Kopp in 2018.

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