Glassy-winged Sharpshooter vs Pigeon Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Pigeon Bug
Scientific Name Homalodisca vitripennis Cimex columbarius
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadellidae Cimicidae
Size 12-14 mm 4-5 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Blood Feeders
Regions Southeastern US, California, introduced to Tahiti and Hawaii Europe
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Glassy-winged Sharpshooter

A large leafhopper that spreads Pierce's disease bacteria devastating to grapevines. It feeds on xylem sap and can process 300 times its body weight in fluid daily.

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Did You Know?

It excretes so much liquid while feeding that it produces a fine rain beneath infested plants.

Pigeon Bug

A cimicid ectoparasite of pigeons and doves found in nest sites and dovecotes across Europe. It can bite humans in buildings with pigeon infestations.

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Did You Know?

Removing pigeon nests from buildings without treating for these bugs often drives them indoors to bite residents.