Eastern Grape Leafhopper: Appearance, Territory, Damage and Life

Latin name: Erythroneura Comes

Appearances: Grape leafhopper adults have pale yellow wings that are marked with crimson. They have a length of about 1/8 of an inch and resemble a wedge. Immature versions lack the adult’s markings and wings and are pale green or greenish-white in color. When grape leaves are halfway extended, this bug starts to move.

Host plants: A significant pest of grapes is the eastern grape leafhopper (Erythroneura comes). Even though they can survive by feeding and reproducing on a wide variety of host plants, they have only been observed to oviposit (laid eggs) on a wild and domestic grape.

Territory: They found in the central and northeastern United States and eastern Canada

Damage insect caused: By making holes in the leaf cells and sucking out the contents, adults and nymphs eat leaves. The leaf develops a white spot after every puncture. When fed, leaves and fruit take on the appearance of having many small white spots all over them. These patches eventually become brown and could hasten the fall of leaves. The tint of the leaves may turn pale yellow, giving them a sickly appearance. The quality and yield of the fruit may be impacted by leafhopper feeding, which could lower the plant’s potential for photosynthetic growth. On the undersides of leaves, nymphs and flying adults may be seen. Pierce’s illness can be spread by some species. The bug is more likely to cause harm to some grape cultivars than others.

Life cycle and habits: In sheltered areas, grape leafhoppers overwinter as non-breeding adults in plant debris and leaf litter. In March, adults leave their wintering grounds and feed on annual weeds growing on the vineyard floor. After budburst, they move on to a grape leaf, and females often start laying eggs in late April. For roughly six weeks, eggs are still being laid.

Between May and June, the first generation’s nymphs eat mostly on basal leaves, and in July, the new generation’s adults emerge. The second generation of nymphs emerges later in the month (eating on younger leaves, such as leaves near the stem tip and leaves on laterals), and in the second half of August and September, they give birth to the second adult generation. The overwintering population is made up of these adults.