Beet Leafhopper vs Ross's Web Spinner

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Beet Leafhopper Ross's Web Spinner
Scientific Name Circulifer tenellus Chelicerca rubra
Order Hemiptera Embioptera
Family Cicadellidae Chelicercidae
Size 3-3.5 mm 8.0-12.0 mm
Habitat Farmland Farmland
Diet Sap Feeders Wood Feeders
Regions Western North America, Mediterranean, Middle East Africa
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Beet Leafhopper

A small pale green to tan leafhopper that transmits curly top virus to sugar beets, tomatoes, and beans. It breeds on desert weeds and migrates to cultivated crops.

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Did You Know?

Curly top virus transmitted by this leafhopper nearly destroyed the sugar beet industry in the western United States in the early 1900s.

Ross's Web Spinner

A reddish-brown web spinner found in tropical Africa that builds silk tunnels on tree bark. It is one of the more brightly colored embiopterans.

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Did You Know?

The reddish coloration of this web spinner is unusual in the order, as most species are drab brown or black.