Fall migratory flight initiation of the potato leafhopper, Empoasca fabae (Homoptera : Cicadellidae): observations in the lower atmosphere using remote piloted vehicles

The development and use of a remote piloted vehicle (RPV) to sample the low er atmosphere for potato leafhopper has shown a correlation between declini ng barometric pressure associated with the approach of a weather front and the presence of diapausing leafhoppers 30 m above an alfalfa field initiati ng their fall migration to the southern states. Population decline of leafh oppers in the source field was also correlated with the passage of weather fronts. The RPV utilized in this research had a 2.4 m wingspan and was outf itted with a fine mesh 41 cm(2) insect net. This RPV sampled 167 m(3)/min w ith flight durations of 30 min. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights r eserved.