Coppery Leafhopper

Fascinating facts about the Coppery Leafhopper

• In a survey of Virginia vineyards, researchers tested 49 different insect species for their ability to release the grapevine-killing phytoplasma. Only Jikradia olitoria actually expelled the pathogen into an artificial feeding solution, and every sample it released was identified as the NAGYIIIβ strain. This single-species breakthrough shows that the leafhopper can act as a direct conduit for a disease that has plagued U.S. grapes since the 1980s, turning a tiny bug into a key player in vineyard health.
• A broader survey of leafhopper communities in Michigan's carrot and celery farms collected a total of 5,049 individuals, yet Jikradia olitoria was not among the dominant species. The most common leafhopper was Macrosteles quadrilineatus, making up 57% of the catch, while Empoasca fabae accounted for 23%. The coppery leafhopper can carry a serious grape disease.
• Even though Jikradia olitoria proved capable of transmitting the NAGYIIIβ phytoplasma, the Michigan carrot-celery study found no strong evidence that leafhoppers contributed to aster yellows infection in those crops. The authors state that while several taxa reside in and near these crops, they did not find strong evidence that they contribute to phytoplasma infection.
• The same study notes that the phytoplasma transmitted by Jikradia olitoria belongs to the 'Candidatus Phytoplasma pruni'-related NAGYIIIβ group, a wall-less bacterial strain that lives inside plant phloem and causes North American Grapevine Yellows.

At a glance

About the Coppery Leafhopper

In the warm, golden light of a summer's day, the Coppery Leafhopper dances across the verdant landscape, its iridescent wings beating at a hypnotic pace as it flits from leaf to leaf with an effortless elegance. With a delicate precision, it navigates the intricate network of veins and ridges that crisscross the surface of its plant hosts, its slender legs tapping out a staccato rhythm on the tender skin of the leaves. As it moves, the leafhopper's coppery hues seem to shimmer and glow, like the soft luster of a newly minted coin, imbuing its every gesture with a sense of quiet, unassuming beauty.

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