Comunidade de cigarrinhas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) de uma área de campo do município de Viamão, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil

Abstract

A study was conducted about the Auchenorrhyncha assembly of grassland area with earthmounds of forests at Viamão County, Rio Grande do Sul State from November, 1996 to November, 1997. Forty-four samples were taken with the aid of a square mouth sweeping net. The collections were alleatory made, employing the method of transects. In total 5350 individuals were collected belonging to 38 species and seven families: Cicadellidae (3074), Issidae (1870), Membracidae (379) Dictyopharidae (9), Cercopidae (7), Cixiidae (6) and Delphacidae (1). The commonest species was Nubithia grisescens Stal (Issidae) with 1669 (31.2%) specimens. The homopterans showed a highest density in August (3.38 ind/m 3) and the lowest in April (0.32 ind./m3). A total richness of 45 species was estimated by "Jacknife" procedure. Shannon-Wiener's heterogenity index was 2.18. Pielou's homogenity index was 0.60.