Sharpshooter Nymph – Draeculacephala species
Sharpshooter nymph with Phoretic mite attached
Family Cicadellidae – Leafhoppers
Live adult and nymph sharpshooters photographed at Warrenville, Illinois
Prototypical sharpshooter with butt bubble: Silver Leafhopper Athysanus argentarius
“Sharpshooter” is one common name for the leafhopper subfamily Cicadellinae. They get this name from their habit of 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, hence the common name.
References
Bugs Main | Bugs Index | Assassin Bugs
Tree Encyclopedia / North American Insects & Spiders
Online since 2002