An investigation on entomofauna of olive orchards, with a particular focus on Auchenorrhyncha species (Hemiptera), was carried out from summer 2014 to spring 2015 in two areas (Provinces of Lecce and Bari) of Apulia region, southern Italy. The research aimed to investigate the presence of potential vector species of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa in the olive trees of infected (Lecce) and uninfected (Bari) orchards, and to reveal the differences between them, in order to have a preliminary estimation of potential spread in case of an outbreak in Bari. An ecological analysis was performed to define the composition of insect populations occurring in the olive groves throughout the year. A total of 1641 specimens (17 species, six sites) were captured in Lecce, and 912 (10 species, two sites) in Bari.
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Comparison of the specimens from the two areas showed that the most relevant difference was the greater abundance of xylem-feeders (spittlebugs PHILAENUS SPUMARIUS and Neophilaenus campestris) found in Lecce, whereas their occurrence in Bari was much lower. In particular, P. spumarius, a recognized X. fastidiosa vector, was found to be the most abundant species in the Lecce area. However, despite the relatively low number of spittlebugs collected in Bari, the possibility of the bacterium spreading in Bari should not be neglected.
