Potato Leafhopper

Appearance

Adults have pale to iridescent green bodies with 6 or 8 white spots on their pronotum. They have a distinctive white H shape mark between their head and wing base. Their bodies are approximately 3 mm long and have on their front wings near its tip a crossvein. Adults and nymphs move by hopping among host plants. However, only adults can fly.

Reproduction

Eggs are laid on their hosts; they are transparent and small in size. Females will lay 2 or 3 eggs a day on the plant’s stem and leaf veins. The egg’s incubation period ranges from 4 through 23 days, the hatchings are called nymphs. New hatchlings are white in colour and develop their green colouring as they age. The nymphs undergo five instars before becoming adults. As they develop, they lose their skin and develop their wings. "Empoasca fabae" develops into adults in 8 through 37 days. Their entire lifecycle is one month long.

Food

They are able to feed and reproduce on at least 200 different plant species across twenty-six families. In total herb genera represent 64% of their hosts. Adults prefer to feed on the leaves and stems, while the nymphs prefer the leaves. Their specialized mouth parts are able to pierce into the plant tissue and remove its sap. The ability to inhabit a wide range of hosts is due to the variation in their feeding behaviors.

Migration

"Empoasca fabae" is a seasonal migration species. If they are flying at night, it takes two or three days to reach their summer destinations. Research suggests that they are using winds as a passive means to help migrate. The direction of the winds influence their distribution within their summer range. Typically, the winds blow in a north-northeast direction towards Northern and Midwest United States. Factors such as warm temperatures and lack of Precipitation increases their range. Cold temperatures, major precipitation, and unsuitable environmental conditions are factors that will stop migration to continue more north. In late summer, cold fronts start to appear sending cues for them to leave. As they leave they get caught up in these fronts which carry them south to southwest to their overwintering range.