Red-banded Leafhopper – Graphocephala coccinea


Red-banded Leafhopper – Graphocephala coccinea

color photo Red-banded Leafhopper Graphocephala coccineaFamily Cicadellidae – Leafhoppers
Live adult leafhoppers photographed at DuPage County, Illinois. Size: 8.5mm

The red-banded leafhopper is widely distributed in North and Central America, from Canada south to Panama.

color photo Red-banded Leafhopper Graphocephala coccineaG. coccinea has been identified as one of several leafhopper vectors of a leaf scorch known as Pierce’s disease, caused by the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa.

It is responsible for the decline of certain woody plants such as elm, oak, and other ornamental trees.

Silver Leafhopper, Athysanus argentarius Silver Leafhopper, Athysanus argentarius  with “sharpshooter” butt bubble

“Sharpshooter” is one common name for the leafhopper subfamily Cicadellinae; They get this name from their feeding on the watery sap of xylem tissue, which conducts moisture from the roots up to the leaves.

Excess water droplets are forced out the tip of the abdomen with an audible popping noise, directing the sticky waste products away from where the bugs are feeding.

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