Damage and nuisance

Native to the Great Lakes region of North America, Scaphoideus titanus was accidentally introduced into Europe and first identified in 1958 in a vineyard in Gironde. The presence of strong populations since its discovery in France suggests a probably earlier introduction.

Since then, this insect has colonized a large part of the European vineyard. Thus, it is currently found from West to East, from Portugal to Serbia and from North to South France (Yonne) to South Italy, as well as in Corsica (Figure 1).

The leafhopper S. titanus does not cause any direct damage to the foliage of the vine, on the other hand it transmits the phytoplasma responsible for flavescence dorée (figures 2 and 3), a wallless bacterium that develops in the phloem of the vine.

Its role as a vector of this phytoplasmosis, declared a disease quarantine in Europe since 1993 (decree of September 2, 1993) and currently in full extension, makes it one of the main entomological problems in the affected vineyards.

It should be noted that heavy regulatory measures, such as the obligation to have recourse to insecticide treatments or to uprooting the vines, which have a significant economic and ecological impact, are applied in all these vineyards affected by Flavescence dorée.