Courtship behavior and experimental asymmetrical hybridization in Dalbulus leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae) with evolutionary inferences

Dalbulus chiapensis Triplehorn and Nault and D. quinquenotatus DeLong and Nault are biologically distinct species. D. chiapensis is proposed to have evolved from its ancestor, D. quinquenotatus . Evidence of this phylogeny is based on a reexamination of collection records, host plant (gamagrass) distributions, and insect activity patterns. Additional evidence is presented on courtship behavior patterns and hybridization studies that supports this hypothesis. D. chiapensis and D. quinquenotatus asymmetrically hybridized; i.e., D. chiapensis females mated with D. quinquenotatus males, but D. quinquenotatus females did not mate with D. chiapensis males. Heterospecific matings were observed when leafhoppers were placed together on the leaf (no species choice) (47%), and when a female was placed with both a conspecific and a heterospecific male (species choice) (39%). In species-choice treatments, there was no significant difference in percentage of matings of D. chiapensis females with conspecific males (31.7%) and heterospecific males (39%).