Oncometopia

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Oncometopia: /ˌɒnkəmiˈtoʊpiə/

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Summary

Oncometopia is a genus of sharpshooters known for its role as a vector for significant plant pathogens. It was established by Carl Stål in 1869 and includes approximately 60 species, with several present in North and South America. These insects are characterized by their distinctive morphology, including a rounded head and coriaceous forewings.

Physical Characteristics

Oncometopia range from 9.4 mm to 15.0 mm in length. The head is moderately produced with a median length almost always less than the interocular width. The anterior margin of the head is rounded dorsally and the crown is rounded to the face without a carina in between. The ocelli are each roughly equidistant from the median line of the crown and the adjacent anterior eye angle. The disc usually has short sparse pubescence. The antennal ledges each have longitudinal fovea and are carinate dorsally; the anterior margins are oblique. The clypeus is strongly convex, and its dorsomedial surface is coarsely granular. The thorax has a punctate pronotal disc, usually rugose. The proepimeron is wider than long. The posterior portion of the scutellum is almost always without transverse striae. The forewing is coriaceous and has an apical membrane, with the veins distinct, and its surface often punctate. The claval veins are parallel, approximate, contiguous, or fused near midlength. The hindwing resembles that of the related genus Phera. The tibiae of the forelegs are not or only slightly dilated apically. The hindlegs have varying first tarsomeres, which may be shorter or longer than the combined length of the second and third tarsomeres.

Identification Tips

The head is produced, the clypeus is strongly convex, and the forewings have distinct, punctate surfaces. The ocelli are roughly equidistant from the median line of the crown and the anterior eye angles, and the thorax is punctate and rugose.

Habitat

Primarily neotropical, ranging from the United States to Argentina.

Distribution

Oncometopia species are found in the eastern United States and throughout South and West United States, with a distribution spanning from the US to Argentina.

Diet

Herbivorous, feeding on plant sap, particularly from citrus plants and other host plants.

Life Cycle

The life cycle includes egg, nymph, and adult stages, typical of hemipterans. Detailed information on specific life stages is not provided.

Ecosystem Role

As a sap-sucking insect, Oncometopia may play a role in plant health and ecology by acting as a vector for various plant diseases, particularly Xylella fastidiosa.

Economic Impact

Oncometopia orbona is a natural vector for Xylella fastidiosa subsp. multiplex, responsible for phony peach disease, and O. facialis is a vector for X. fastidiosa subsp. pauca, which causes citrus variegated chlorosis.

Similar Taxa

• Phera

Tags

• Oncometopia
• sharpshooters
• Cicadellidae
• hemiptera
• plant vectors