Plum Leafhopper – Macropsis trimaculata

Plum Leafhopper – Macropsistrimaculata

Common Name: Plum Leafhopper

Latin Name: Macropsistrimaculata

Appearance:

• Plum Leafhopper is about 0.12 inch (3 mm) in length, light to pale yellow, and has striking dark brown and reddish patterns.
• Eggs are placed singly in epidermal tissue on the underside of leaves and appear as a bean-shaped, blisterlike protuberance 0.04 inch (1 mm) in length.
• The first brood’s eggs are deposited on basal leaves in April and May. Nymphs are white with six pale yellow spots on the thorax and clear eyes.

Host plant:     

Plum Leafhoppers are found throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Damages caused by Plum Leafhopper:

Damage is generally more visible on badly cared-for trees. This insect is a minor issue; even high populations seldom cause yield loss. During fruit harvest, the flying adults may become a nuisance pest.

Life history and habits:

The insect spends the winter as eggs just beneath the bark of 1 to 5-year-old tree twigs. Crescent-shaped swellings indicate the presence of eggs in the bark. The eggs hatch around the time of the tight cluster stage (late March to mid-April), and the nymphs eat for many weeks. Adults begin flying in late May and continue until frost kills them. In September, overwintering eggs are deposited. Each year, there are two generations.