CHALAM, M.S.V.NAGESH, S2019-05-022019-05-022018http://krishikosh.egranth.ac.in/handle/1/5810101673D5710Taxonomic studies on leafhopper fauna associated with graminaceous crop ecosystems in Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh were undertaken in the Department of Entomology, S.V. Agricultural College, Tirupati during 2017- 2018. During the study twenty five species of leafhoppers belonging to thirteen genera of the family Cicadellidae under order Hemiptera were collected, identified and described. During the present investigation, leafhoppers were collected from paddy (Oryza sativa L.), sorghum (Sorghum vulgare Pers.), maize (Zea mays L.), sugarcane (Saccharam officinarum L.) and finger millet (Eleusine coracana Gaertn.) crop ecosystems in different parts of Rayalaseema of Andhra Pradesh. In paddy crop ecosystem, fourteen leafhopper species were collected, identified and described. The leafhopper fauna collected from paddy includes, Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum), Balclutha thea (Kirschbaum), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Cofona spectra (Distant), Cofona unimaculata (Signoret), Empoascanara defecta (Ishida), Empoascanara indica (Dworakowska), Empoascanara prima (Distant), Exitianus indicus (Distant), Exitianus nanus (Distant), Maiestas dorsalis (Motschulsky), Maiestas pruthii (Metcalf), Nephotettix nigropictus (Stal) and Nephotettix virescens (Distant). In sorghum crop ecosystem, nine leafhopper species were collected, identified and described. The leafhopper fauna collected from sorghum includes, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), Balclutha incisa (Matsumura), Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum), Balclutha thea (Kirschbaum), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Doratulina speciosum (Distant), Empoascanara indica (Datta), Exitianus indicus (Distant) and Nephotettix virescens (Distant). xiii In maize crop ecosystem, thirteen leafhopper species viz., Aconurella prolixa (Lethierry), Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida), Balclutha incisa (Matsumura), Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum), Balclutha thea (Kirschbaum), Batracomorphus angustatus (Osborn), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Doratulina vertica (Pruthi), Empoascanara defecta (Dworakowska), Empoascanara indica (Datta), Empoascanara prima (Distant), Exitianus indicus (Distant) and Hishimonus phycitis (Distant) were collected, identified and described. In sugarcane crop ecosystem, ten leafhopper species were collected identified and described. The leafhopper fauna collected from sugarcane includes, Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum), Balclutha thea (Kirschbaum), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Doratulina speciosum (Distant), Empoascanara defecta (Dworakowska), Empoascanara indica (Datta), Exitianus indicus (Distant), Maiestas breviculus (Dash and Viraktamath), Nephotettix nigropictus (Stal) and Nephotettix virescens (Distant). In finger millet crop ecosystem, thirteen leafhopper species viz., Balclutha incisa (Kirschbaum), Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum), Balclutha thea (Kirschbaum), Batracomorphus angustatus (Osborn), Chiasmus alata (Pruthi), Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar), Cofona spectra (Distant), Doratulina speciosum (Distant), Empoascanara indica (Datta), Exitianus indicus (Distant), Maiestas acuminatus (Dash and Viraktamath), Maiestas dorsalis (Motschulsky) and Maiestas vulgaris (Dash and Viraktamath) were collected, identified and described. All the leafhopper species were described and illustrated. A key for distinguishing all these leafhopper species with line diagrams and colour photographs is given for easy identification.en-USnullThesis