(Macrosteles fascifrons)
This insect, also known as the 6-spotted leafhopper, feeds on many vegetable and ornamental plants. It generally feeds on the undersides of leaves, sucking the sap, which causes stippling. This leafhopper transmits aster yellows, a plant disease that can be quite damaging. (For more information, see Aster Yellows.) Leafhoppers at all stages of maturity are active during the growing season. They hatch in the spring from eggs laid on perennial weeds and ornamental plants. Even areas where the winters are so cold that the eggs cannot survive are not free from infestation because leafhoppers migrate in the spring from warmer regions.
Spray plants with an insecticide containing acephate, diazinon, carbaryl, or malathion. Check to make sure that your plant is listed on the product label. Avoid spraying when flowers and bees are present. Eradicate nearby weeds, especially thistles, plantains, and dandelions, that may harbor leafhopper eggs and aster yellows. For more information about controlling disease-carrying insects, see Vectors of Plant Diseases.
