EPOW - Ecology Picture of the Week

Each week a different image of our fascinating environment is featured, along with a brief explanation written by a professional ecologist.

3-9 November 2003

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Leafhopper

 

Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadellidae),
Portland, Oregon USA

Credit & Copyright: Dr. Bruce G. Marcot
Explanation:  As tiny as the nail on your pinky finger, this leafhopper belongs to one of the largest families of plant-eating insects.  Worldwide, there are more species of leafhoppers than there are of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians together.  Identifying subfamilies and tribes of leafhoppers is daunting enough for the expert entomologist.

As beautiful as they are. leafhoppers are viewed as pest insects that consume many agricultural crops including sugarbeets, rice, grapes, apples, potatoes, and many other foods.  Leafhoppers cause a symptom of plants they feed on called hopperburn as they suck the juices of the plants.

Leafhoppers are distinguished from similar-appearing froghoppers and spittlebugs (family Cercopidae) in that leafhoppers have hind tibiae with 1 or more rows of small spines, as clearly shown in the above photos.  

Next week's picture:  Nyika Plateau, Malawi


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