Leafhoppers—Thousands of Sap-Sucking Species of This Pest
Leafhoppers are one of the largest families of plant-eating insects. There are more leafhopper species worldwide than all species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians combined.
They feed by sucking the sap of plants with veins, and are found almost anywhere these plants occur, from tropical rainforests to arctic tundra.
They have piercing, sucking mouthparts, which they use to remove the sap from the plant veins.
They're found on the stems and leaves of plants of hundreds of plant species, including many that you have in your garden.
A characteristic of leafhoppers is brochosomes, gooey particles that prevent the bugs from being trapped in water and their own droppings.
The females also use these particles to cover over the egg chambers they create when they lay eggs in plants.
The most harmful agricultural leafhoppers are:
- Potato leafhopper
- Beet leafhopper
- White apple leafhopper
- Sharpnosed leafhopper
- Green leafhopper
Leafhopper Enemies
- Lizards
- Birds
- Spiders
- Praying mantids
- Assassin bugs
- Robber flies
- Parasitic wasps, moths and flies
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