LEAFHOPPER (HOMOPTERA, CICADELLIDAE) SPECIES COMPOSITION OF WESTERN COLORADO COMMERCIAL PEACH ORCHARDS

A total of 44 leafhopper species were collected from western colorado commercial peach orchards exhibiting symptoms of Western X-disease (WX D). Four of the six known major WXD leafhopper vectors, Colladonus gem inatus (Van Duzee), C. montanus (Van Duzee), Fieberiella florii (Stal) and Scaphytopius acutus (say) were trapped. Yellow sticky AM traps we re the most effective sampling method for monitoring leafhopper specie s composition in the orchards. The dominant vector species, C. geminat us, exhibited May-June and September-October population peaks, whereas S. acutus reached maximum abundance in peach orchards in late Septemb er. F. florii was infrequently collected in the orchards and appeared to prefer nearby woody ornamental shrubs.