How To Get Rid Of Leaf Hoppers In Garden

Image courtesy of: Denis Crawford

What are Leafhoppers and
How to Get Rid of Them

Common leafhopper species include the Common Brown Leafhopper (Orosius argentatus), Vegetable Leafhopper (Austroasca viridigrisea) and Yellow Leafhopper (Anzygina zealandica).

Description

Common leafhopper species are wedge-shaped and are about 2 mm to 6 mm long depending on the species. Leafhoppers hold their wings roof-like over the body at rest. Leafhoppers are very active and jump or fly quickly in all directions when disturbed. Leafhopper nymphs are usually smaller in size and wingless.

The Common Brown Leafhopper (Orosius argentatus) is a small motley brown insect about 3 mm long which may transmit serious plant diseases such as Tomato Big Bud. The Common Brown Leafhopper is the only leafhopper which transmits plant diseases in home gardens. The Vegetable Leafhopper (Austroasca viridigrisea) is yellowish-green in colour and about 4 mm long. The Yellow Leafhopper (Anzygina zealandica) is about 6 mm long and yellow.

Planthoppers (Flatidae) are common garden sap-sucking insects. When viewed from the side they are almost triangular and resemble thorns on a twig. They are not leafhoppers, and common species such as the Green Planthopper (Siphanta acuta) are considered to be minor garden pests. The horticulturally significant planthopper species are the Citrus Planthopper (Colgar peracutum) which damages several fruits including citrus, grapes and pawpaw, and the Mango Planthopper (Colgaroides acuminata) which is a pest of citrus and mango.

The taxonomy of the family Cicadellidae has changed recently to include the subfamily Eurymelinae – the 'treehoppers' – formerly in a separate family of their own. The most common of these are the Gum Treehoppers (Eurymela spp.), which are occasional pests of young eucalypts in gardens. Gum Treehoppers are cicada-shaped insects about 12 millimetres long and many species are quite colourful with black-and-white patterns and red eyes. They are native insects – if they are on your eucalypts they aren't necessarily pests.

Life Cycle

Leafhoppers, treehoppers and planthoppers all go through a life-cycle of gradual metamorphosis – egg to nymph to adult. Nymphs are miniature versions of the adult form but without wings.

Female leafhoppers usually lay their eggs in slits cut in leaf tissue. The eggs hatch into tiny nymphs which moult and grow larger through four more nymph stages before becoming adults. Leafhoppers usually have a short life cycle of only a few weeks. There are several generations per year, with populations building up through spring, and peaking during summer and autumn.