Virginia Creeper Leafhoppers

Identification

Members of the leafhopper family include spittlebugs, treehoppers and cicadas. Adults are large and wedge-shaped and hold their wings like a tents over their long bodies. Leafhoppers are quite agile, moving about their host plants with ease. These insects are easily distinguished from other insects by their ability to move sideways in a crablike fashion. Since they can jump long distances, leafhoppers are very difficult to control. Leafhopper larvae are similar to the adult forms; their wings become larger and more defined upon maturity. Larvae can also move in a crablike motion.

Leafhoppers damage host plants while in both larval and adult forms. These insects feed on plants, using their piercing mouthparts removing to suck out plant juices. During feeding, leafhoppers can transmit damaging diseases to their hosts. Since leafhoppers ingest plant sap, they produce honeydew. This tacky liquid adheres to host plant leaves and stems. Sooty mold fungi attaches to honeydew, causing black fungus to grow on the surface of the plant. Some leafhoppers remove the chlorophyll from host plants, causing a condition known as hopper burn to develop on plant leaves.

Leafhopper eggs are placed in slits in plant tissue, where they remain until they hatch. These eggs are very tiny and difficult to spot without a magnifying glass. Some natural predators, such as parasitic wasps, dragonflies and mantids feed on leafhoppers, reducing their populations. Unless infestations are heavy, leafhoppers do not typically cause severe damage to Virginia creeper. The majority of damage is limited to ragged leaf margins.

Leafhoppers may require chemical control if infestations are very heavy and host plants are sustaining significant damage. Insecticidal soaps, available at local garden centers, are helpful in leafhopper control. These products must make contact with the insects to be effective, so thorough plant coverage is required. Malathion also can be used to reduce leafhopper populations.