in Turkey - Anadolu Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi

Anadolu Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi 3(2): 15-17, 2012
(Journal of Anatolian Natural Sciences)
Research Note
First Data on Ant-attendance to Balcanocerus balcanicus
(Horváth, 1903) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Idiocerinae) in
Turkey
İnanç Özgen1*, Albena Lapeva-Gjonova2, Ilia Gjonov 3
1. Fırat University, Baskil Vocational School, Elazığ, Turkey
2. Sofia University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Zoology and Anthropology, 8 Dragan Tsankov blvd.,Sofia 1164,
Bulgaria
3. P.O.Box 233, 1618 Sofia, Bulgaria
*[email protected]
Abstract: This study was reported as first data about ant-attendance to Balcanocerus balcanicus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) from
Turkey after previous ones from Bulgaria.
Keywords: Balcanocerus balcanicus, Ant-attendance, Turkey
Türkiye’de Balcanocerus balcanicus (Horváth, 1903) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae,
Idiocerinae) Karınca İlişkisi Üzerine İlk Veriler
Özet: Bu çalışma; Bulgaristan da yapılan ilk çalışmadan sonra, Türkiye’de Balcanocerus balcanicus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) ile
karınca ilişkisi hakkında ilk verileri sunmaktadır.
Anahtar Kelimeler: Balcanocerus balcanicus, Karınca İlişkisi, Türkiye
The cicadellid Balcanocerus balcanicus (Horváth, 1903) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) was recently established
as closely related with ants in Bulgaria (Gjonov, 2002; in contrast with previous reports on ant-attendance in
family Cicadellidae mainly from tropics (Dietrich and McKamey, 1990; Moya-Raygoza and Nault, 2000; Souza
and Francini, 2010). The relationships are known as trophobiotic because of sugar-rich droplets excreted by
leafhoppers are imbibed by ants. Trophobiosis, or ant-attendance, is usually observed within aphids and
coccids (Sternorrhyncha: Aphidoidea and Coccoidea) and it is less popular in hoppers (Cicadomorpha and
Fulgoromorpha).
Balcanocerus balcanicus lives on the host plant Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (Rosaceae) where adults and
nymphs form colonies actively tended by ants (Hymenoptera, Formicidae) (Figure 1.). Six ant species from two
subfamilies – Lasius alienus (Förster), L. niger (Linnaeus), L. fuliginosus (Latreille), Formica pratensis Retzius,
Camponotus vagus (Scopoli) (Formicinae) and Сrematogaster schmidti (Mayr) (Myrmicinae) have been known
from these associations. All findings in the recent studies (Gjonov 2002, Gjonov & Lapeva-Gjonova,
unpublished) of the leafhopper Balcanocerus balcanicus have been together with ants suggesting the
obligatory character of their trophobiotic relationships.
The study area is located at 3 km north of Hazar Lake which is in the northern part of Sivrice district (
38°26´53´´K, 39°18´´28´´E1275 m ).The observations of ant-leafhopper relationships were on the host plants
Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (Rosaceae), about 1,5 m high, available in apricot orchards. The field observations
th
th
were conducted once per week from July 20 to August 20 in 2012.
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Anadolu Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi 3(2): 15-17, 2012
(Journal of Anatolian Natural Sciences)
Here, we have reported first data about Balcanocerus balcanicus ant-attendance from Turkey after previous
ones from Bulgaria. This species was found with additional three ant species from subfamily Formicinae:
Camponotus gestroi Emery, C. xerxes Forel and Formica clara Forel. Nests of all three ant species are in the
ground and inhabit xerothermic places.
Nymphs from the last nymphal stages and adults were the most tended cicadellids by ants and usually one
ant worker was around a B. balcanicus specimen.
The species B. balcanicus is currently known from Adana, Bingöl, Karaman, Mersin and Nevşehir Provinces
in Turkey (Önder et. al., 2011). This species is recorded for the first time from Elazığ Province.
Previous study showed that Camponotus gestroi Emery and C. xerxes Forel species distributed to Elazığ
province (Karaman, 2011). But, this study also provides the first record of F. clara in the province of Elazığ
(Lapeva and Kıran, 2012).
Present data on ant-attendance of the leafhopper B. balcanicus confirm the suggestion about its obligatory
trophobiotic relationship with ants. Different ant species from two subfamilies (Formicinae and Myrmicinae)
take part in these associations showing their non-specific character. New observations expand the knowledge
for the rare trophobiotic cases between cicadellids and ants.
Figure 1. Balcanocerus balcanicus (Horváth, 1903) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) and ant colonies on host plant
Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (Rosaceae)
Acknowledgements
We thanks to Prof.Dr. Nihat AKTAÇ (Trakya University, Department of Biology, Edirne, Turkey) for providing
some literature.
.
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Anadolu Doğa Bilimleri Dergisi 3(2): 15-17, 2012
(Journal of Anatolian Natural Sciences)
References
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Gjonov, I. 2002. Data on the bionomics and distribution of Balcanocerus balcanicus (Horváth, 1903) (Homoptera, Cicadina, Cicadellidae) in
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