Blue-Green Sharpshooter vs Vedalia Beetle
Side-by-side species comparison
| Attribute | Blue-Green Sharpshooter | Vedalia Beetle |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific Name | Graphocephala atropunctata | Novius cardinalis |
| Order | Hemiptera | Coleoptera |
| Family | Cicadellidae | Coccinellidae |
| Size | 6-8 mm | 3-4 mm |
| Habitat | Orchards | Orchards |
| Diet | Sap Feeders | Omnivores |
| Regions | North America | Australia, Worldwide (introduced) |
| Conservation | Least Concern | Least Concern |
Blue-Green Sharpshooter
A strikingly colored blue-green leafhopper native to the western US. It is an important vector of Pierce's disease in California vineyards.
Did You Know?
Despite its tiny size, it can transmit the devastating Xylella bacterium that kills grapevines and other crops.
Vedalia Beetle
A small red-and-black ladybird famous as the first successful biological control agent in history. It saved the California citrus industry from the cottony cushion scale in 1889.
Did You Know?
Its introduction to California is considered the founding event of modern biological pest control.