Lesser Lawn Leafhopper – Graminella Sonora

Lesser Lawn Leafhopper (Graminella Sonora)

Common Name: Lesser Lawn Leafhopper

Latin Name: Graminella Sonora

Appearance:

• Leafhopper adults are wedge-shaped and range in hue from green to brown.
• They are 1/8 to 3/8 inches long. Leafhopper adults (1/4 inch long) are slender, wedge-shaped insects that fly or scatter quickly when disturbed.
• Depending on the species, they might be green, brown, or yellow and frequently have colourful markings.
• Nymphs lack wings and are often lighter in colour than adults. Both adults and nymphs run sideways and are strong jumpers.

Host plant:

Beans, maize, lettuce, beets, potatoes, grapes, roses, and many more plants are common hosts.

Damages caused by Lesser Lawn Leafhopper:

Leafhoppers can be identified visually or by sampling the probable infestation using a total insect net. When going through the grass, keep an eye out for flying adults. A leafhopper infestation may also be indicated by an abundance of lady beetles, big-eyed bugs, parasitic wasps, and other natural enemies.

Life history and habits:

Adults spend the winter in crop waste or uncultivated areas near gardens. Females lay 1-6 eggs every day in late spring inside the stems and bigger veins of the leaves. Hatching takes 6-9 days, and the immature nymphs moult five times before becoming fully developed adults. White cast skins shed by moulting nymphs are frequently observed adhering to the underside of broken leaves. It takes roughly three weeks from egg to adult. Several overlapping generations may be completed during the growth season.