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Leafhoppers
Latin Name: Homalodisca vitripennis
Common Name: Glassy Winged Sharpshooter
Latin Family Name: Cicadellidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to the southeastern U.S., but introduced to California and other southwest states in the 1990’s where it potentially may be destructive to vineyards and other crops and ornamental plantings.
Biology:
As a leafhopper the GWSS feeds by piercing plant tissues with its proboscis, and removing plant fluids. In the process of feeding it may inoculate the plants with a bacterium called Xylella fastidiosa, which causes devastating diseases in a variety of plants, such as Pierce’s Disease of grapes or Leaf Scorch of almonds, oleander, or mulberry. It is capable of feeding on hundreds of different crop and ornamental plants, including citrus, oaks, and maples. At the time of writing there is no cure for the disease once introduced into the plant. In temperate climates there
Latin Name: Erythroneura comes
Common Name: Grape leafhopper
Latin Family Name: Cicadellidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Apparently native to North America, and several species in the genus Erythroneura can be found throughout the U.S.
Biology:
The species of Erythroneura include the grape, three-banded, variegated, and potato leafhoppers, and these may feed on a wide variety of ornamental trees and shrubs in addition to their named host plants. When attacking crop plants such as grapes in large numbers the feeding causes premature leaf drop and poor quality to the fruit. Continuing annual infestations ultimately affect the overall health of the entire plant. Adult insects over-winter and emerge in the spring to deposit eggs within the tissue of the leaf. There may be 2 generations per year.
Identification:
Adult insects are only about 3 mm long, with overwintering adults beginning reddish
Latin Name: Draeculacephala minerva
Common Name: Green Sharpshooter
Latin Family Name: Cicadellidae
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to North America, and occurring in the west from Texas to Oregon and south into Central America.
Biology:
This species is one of several leafhoppers that may vector a plant pathogen that causes Pierce’s Disease, a devastating disease in vineyards and other crops, as well as on many ornamental plants. The insect hibernates in the adult stage, in very early spring deposits eggs into the leaves of grasses, and may have three generations each year. It will feed on some broadleaf plants but strongly prefers grasses, including both cultivated and weed grasses.
Identification:
Adult insects are about ¼ inch long, and a bright green color in spring and summer, tending toward brown in the fall and winter. Like other leafhoppers the wings are fully developed and held roof-like
Latin Name: Deltocephalus spp.
Common Name: Lawn leafhopper
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
A number of native species occur in North America.
Biology:
This is a group of several related species that commonly infest lawns in large numbers. They may be hidden until someone walks across the lawn, triggering the adults to fly a short distance, but often almost in waves of numbers. The female inserts her ovipositor directly into the blades of the grasses to deposit eggs. Even though large numbers may be present in a lawn the visible damage to the turf is minimal to insignificant. The problem is often a nuisance problem as the adults fly and land on people who are active on the lawn. The adults also fly to lights and may be present around porch lights by the thousands, often entering a home when doors are opened.
Identification:
Adult insects have fully developed wings that are held roof-like over the abdomen while at
Latin Name: Empoasca fabae
Common Name: Potato leafhopper
Other Names: N/A
Pest Details
Origin:
The leafhopper is native to the eastern half of North America.
Biology:
Despite its common name this species feeds on over 200 different kinds of plants, including crops and ornamentals. The list includes row crops, annual bedding plants, fruit trees, and shrubs. Feeding is primarily on the underside of the leaf, and as the nymphs and adults feed they inject a toxin back into the plant that causes yellowing and stunted growth of the foliage. The discoloration begins at the leaf tip and margins and increases in size until the leaf finally dies. The insects spend the winter in warm areas along the Gulf Coast states, migrating north once the weather warms. Females insert their eggs into the plant tissues, several eggs per day for a month. There may be up to 4 generations per year in warmer climates.
Identification:
The adult insect
Latin Name: Fieberiella florii
Common Name: Privet leafhopper
Other Names: Flor’s leafhopper, Cherry leafhopper
Pest Details
Origin:
Native to Europe but well established throughout North America.
Biology:
This leafhopper is a pest on shrubs such as privet, photinia, and laurels as well as on members of the rose family (cherry, apple, apricot) and many other ornamental shrubs and trees. Eggs overwinter on the bark of trees and nymphs emerge in the spring.
Identification:
Nymphs are greenish yellow with white mottled markings down the back of the head, thorax, and abdomen. Many long, stiff hairs protrude from the end of the abdomen. Adults are whitish with brown veins on the wings and a brown streak through the middle of the wing. The head is flattened. The wings are held roof-like over the abdomen and come together tightly at the end to have a strongly flattened profile.
Characteristicts Important to Control: