French prune trees: Refuge for grape leafhopper parasite

Abstract

Prune trees planted next to vineyards allow early-season buildup of Anagrus epos, an important parasite of the grape leafhopper. After surviving the winter on an alternate host, the prune leafhopper, Anagrus moves into the vineyard in the spring, providing grape leaf-hopper control up to a month earlier than in vineyards not near prune tree refuges.