Hobbies And Interests
Identification
Leafhoppers are members of the family called Cicadellidae, one of the 10 largest families of insects, and part of the order Hemiptera. Leafhoppers have piercing and sucking mouth parts and spiky hairs on their back legs. Their winged, wedge-shaped bodies range from about 1/8-inch to 1/2-inch long and can be brown, yellow, green, red or patterned. Leafhoppers can fly, run, jump and hop.
Types
Scientists have identified about 20,000 species of leafhoppers worldwide, but the number continues to grow. According to C.H. Dietrich, a biodiversity expert for the Illinois Natural History Survey, samples taken from the Amazon rainforest indicate that more than 100,000 leafhopper species may exist. Dietrich says this diversity may be the result of evolution, plant variety and the leafhopper's ability to adapt to diverse conditions.
Geography
Leafhoppers are found worldwide in all types of environments, including Arctic tundras and tropical rainforests, deserts and wetlands, forests and grassy plains. They can thrive wherever they find sap from grasses, pines and woody and herbaceous plants.
History
The leafhopper coexisted with the dinosaurs. The oldest-known fossil comes from the lower Cretaceous period of 125 million years ago. Some modern fossils preserved in amber show that leafhoppers have changed little in structure over the past 35 million to 55 million years.
Life Cycle
Leafhoppers hatch from eggs that the adult female deposits in plant tissue. They emerge as wingless nymphs that feed on plant sap until they reach the adult stage, anywhere from a few weeks to several months. The adult leafhopper lives for only a few months.
Effects
Several species of leafhoppers can damage ornamental plants or crops. One common harmful species is the potato leafhopper. The potato leafhopper targets potatoes, fruit trees, beans and about 200 other plants. The leafhopper damage stunts the plant's growth. Leafhoppers also inject a toxic substance into the plant that kills the leaves.