Adult potato leafhoppers are yellowish or light green. They have a lot of color diversity, which often leads to misidentification. The adult’s head frequently has pale or dark green spots, and six or more pale (white) dots can be observed on the back directly behind the head. Wings are held roof-like over the abdomen. Adults are around 3.5 mm long and wedge-shaped, tapering to the back.
The eggs are white to light white, thin, elongated, and around 0.9 mm long.
Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller and lack wings. There are five nymphal instars.
Host plant:
The leafhopper feeds on a wide range of plant species and has been observed to feed on approximately 200 different types of plants, causing considerable harm to blossoms. This insect infests economic plants such as alfalfa, apple, eggplant, peanut, potato, soybean, and sweet potato.
Damages caused by Mountain Leafhopper:
Feeding and egg laying cause harm to the afflicted plant, including curling, stunting, and dwarfing. The leaves get wilted or stunted as they become yellow, pink, or purple. The leaf eventually turns brown and dies. Larger nymphs do the majority of the harm. The injection of saliva into the phloem by potato leafhoppers while eating may elicit disease-like symptoms. Infested plants may develop “hopperburn,” a disease characterized by a deformation of the leaf veins, followed by yellowing of tissue around the edge and tip of the leaf, and subsequently a rolling and curling inward of the leaf. Floral development may be slowed or entirely halted.
Life history and habits:
Leafhopper populations grow on young oak and hickory foliage and subsequently target other plant species as they spread northward. Eggs are laid in the midrib or more extensive veins of the leaves, as well as in the petioles and stems, and hatch in around ten days. The five nymphal instars take around two weeks to mature into adults. Adults live for roughly a month. Females marry two days after their last molt and begin producing eggs six days afterward. A life cycle may be completed in roughly four weeks, and up to six generations can occur yearly. When agitated, these insects jump or fly and run as fast sideways or backward as they can forward.
