Rhododendron leafhopper | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Arthropoda |
Class: | Insecta |
Order: | Hemiptera |
Suborder: | Auchenorrhyncha |
Family: | Cicadellidae |
Genus: | Graphocephala |
Species: | G. fennahi |
Binomial name | |
Graphocephala fennahi Young, 1977 | |
Graphocephala fennahi (rhododendron leafhopper) is a species of leafhopper native to the United States. Its common name derives from it feeding on the sap of rhododendrons. [1] The species was introduced to Great Britain in the 1930s and continental Europe in the 1970s. [2] There has been suggestion that the rhododendron leafhopper contributes to the spread of a rhododendron fungus (Pycnostysanus azaleae) through Europe. [3]
They are small as 8–10 mm and have 4 orange stripes down their elytrons. Their metamorphosis are incomplete, and those creatures are diurnal. Forewing colors are ranged from red to blue. Males are 7.4-8.8 mm long, and females are 8.2–9 mm long. They belong to the group "True bugs", very closely related to aphids and psyllids
It is native to the mountains of southern Virginia, the western Carolinas, and northern Georgia. Recently observed (Aug 2024) in Northern Illinois (Suburban Chicago).
They are recorded in grassy lands, as well as in mixed hardwood forests, usually found in rhododendron areas.
Rhododendron leafhoppers are usually vital food for ladybugs, spiders, and some parasitic wasps. They are afraid of Harmonia axyridis, the Harlequin Ladybird.
The Rhododendron leafhopper emerges from late spring and dies in November (timeline includes: May, June, July, August, September, October and November).
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Rhododendron is a very large genus of about 1,024 species of woody plants in the heath family (Ericaceae). They can be either evergreen or deciduous. Most species are native to eastern Asia and the Himalayan region, but smaller numbers occur elsewhere in Asia, and in North America, Europe and Australia.
The glassy-winged sharpshooter is a large leafhopper, similar to other species of sharpshooter.
Leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and are covered with hairs that facilitate the spreading of a secretion over their bodies that acts as a water repellent and carrier of pheromones. They undergo a partial metamorphosis, and have various host associations, varying from very generalized to very specific. Some species have a cosmopolitan distribution, or occur throughout the temperate and tropical regions. Some are pests or vectors of plant viruses and phytoplasmas. The family is distributed all over the world, and constitutes the second-largest hemipteran family, with at least 20,000 described species.
Brochosomes are intricately structured microscopic granules secreted by leafhoppers and typically found on their body surface and, more rarely, eggs. Brochosomes were first described in 1952 with the aid of an electron microscope. Brochosomes are hydrophobic and help keep the insect cuticle clean. These particles have also been found in samples of air and can easily contaminate foreign objects, which explains erroneous reports of brochosomes on other insects.
Rhododendron ponticum, called common rhododendron or pontic rhododendron, is a species of flowering plant in the Rhododendron genus of the heath family Ericaceae. It is native to the Iberian Peninsula in southwest Europe and the Caucasus region in northern West Asia.
Rhododendron luteum, the yellow azalea or honeysuckle azalea, is a species of flowering plant in the heath family Ericaceae, native to southeastern Europe and southwest Asia. In Europe, it occurs from southern Poland and Austria, south through the Balkans, and east to southern Russia; and in Asia, east to the Caucasus.
Rhododendron catawbiense, with common names Catawba rosebay, Catawba rhododendron, mountain rosebay, purple ivy, purple laurel, purple rhododendron, red laurel, rosebay, rosebay laurel, is a species of Rhododendron native to the eastern United States, growing mainly in the southern Appalachian Mountains from West Virginia south to northern Alabama.
Graphocephala coccinea is a meadow and woodland-dwelling species of brightly colored leafhopper native to North and Central America, from Canada south to Panama. Common names include candy-striped leafhopper, red-banded leafhopper, scarlet-and-green leafhopper and red-and-blue leafhopper.
Empoasca decedens is a species of leafhoppers belonging to the family Cicadellidae. This species has a small, slender body with a yellowish green coloration. Both males and females measure between 3.1 to 3.3 millimetres in length.
Typhlocybinae is a subfamily of insects in the leafhopper family, Cicadellidae. This is currently the second largest leafhopper subfamily based on the number of described species, but researchers believe there are so many taxa yet undescribed that it is probably the largest subfamily. Approximately 6000 species have been described thus far.
Japananus hyalinus, the Japanese maple leafhopper, is a species of leafhopper of the subfamily Deltocephalinae and tribe Opsiini. Believed to be native to eastern Asia, it has been carried with the trade in cultivated maples and is now widely found in Europe, North America and Australia.
Graphocephala versuta is a species of sharpshooter in the family Cicadellidae.
Coelidiinae is a subfamily of leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae. There are at least 8 tribes, 108 genera, and over 900 species in Coelidiinae.
Hypacostemma is a genus of leafhoppers in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. It is the only genus in the tribe Hypacostemmini. Hypacostemma contains at least 5 described species distributed throughout Southern Africa. Hypacostemma are usually large greenish leafhoppers with a length between 7-10 mm.
Occinirvana eborea is a species of leafhopper in the subfamily Deltocephalinae. It is the only member of the genus Occinirvana and the tribe Occinirvanini, making them both monotypic taxa. O. eborea is endemic to Western Australia. It is closely related to Loralia, another genus of leafhoppers endemic to Australia.
Anoscopus albifrons is a species of insect in the family Cicadellidae. It was first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1758, in the 10th Edition of his Systema Naturae. It is found throughout Europe, the Azores, and parts of the United States and Canada. It inhabits grassy areas and forbs.
Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni is a species of phytoplasma in the class Mollicutes, a class of bacteria distinguished by the absence of a cell wall. The specific epithet pruni means "living on Prunus", emphasizing the fact that the phytoplasma is a parasite of various Prunus species, otherwise known as stone fruits. The phytoplasma is commonly called the X-disease phytoplasma.
Onega bracteata is a species of leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae. It is native to Andean South America.
Erasmoneura vulnerata is a species of leafhopper native to North America. The species was found to be in Europe in 2004 where it causes significant economic damage to grapevine yards. E. vulnerata is commonly found on wild and cultivated grapes from both continents. Its Latin name translates to "wounded Erasmoneura" from its original description.
Homalodisca liturata, also known as the smoketree sharpshooter or the lacertate sharpshooter, is a species of leafhopper native to North America. The smoketree sharpshooter uses a number of host species but prefers desert smoketree where available. This is a comparatively large leafhopper at approximately 13 millimeters long. It, like other species in its genus, is a known vector of Xylella fastidiosa. Acoustic signaling is known to occur in both male and female smoketree sharpshooters.