Sharp-nosed Leafhopper

Appearance

A brownish leafhopper with a short but strongly produced, sharply pointed head; it is around 1.5 times as long as the width between the eyes. The wings, thorax, and head are brown, varying in darkness among individuals; the wings have scattered white areolar spots, and the veins are brown, become fucsous to black near the apex. The face is a characteristic yellow, contrasting with the rest of the body; it is angled at a roughly 45 degree angle (looks vertical). The pronotum tends to be darker than the crown, and the scutellum is yellow to orange with light markings; there are light white markings on top of the head, but nothing boldly patterned. The male subgenital plates are somewhat triangular. The female pregenital sternite has a rounded posterior margin with a small median notch. Adult males are 4.2-4.8 mm long, females are 4.8-5.3 mm.

Nymphs show a pointed head (characteristic of Scaphytopius) and a bicolored body, with brownish sides and a pale, whitish middle.

Naming

Scaphytopius (Cloanthanus) acutus (Say)
Cloanthanus filamentus, DeLong, 1945
Cloanthanus tenuis, DeLong, 1945
Jassus acutus, Say, 1931
Platymetopius acutus var. dubius, Van Duzee,1910
Jassus modestus, Of. Vet. Akad. Forh., XI : p. 255, 1854

Distribution

Transcontinental, common throughout North America

Behavior

Attracted to lights.

Habitat

Has been found in grassy, brushy areas near forest; also wet meadows.

Food

Calamagrostis canadensis, grasses, sedges, bushes, sweet fern, willows, potato

"DeLong (1923) writes "may be found on Calamagrostis canadensis in a wet meadow habitat." Lowry (1933) reports "grasses and sedges" as the hosts. Osborn (1915) writes "—from bushes, grass and sweet fern—willows, potato and various plants." This species is apparently found on a large number of hosts."

Cultural

Vector of soybean bud proliferation and western X-disease phytoplasma.