Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada vs Yucca Plant Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada Yucca Plant Bug
Scientific Name Okanagana hesperia Halticotoma valida
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Miridae
Size 20-28 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Grasslands Deserts & Drylands
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions North America North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Palo Verde Root Borer Cicada

A medium-sized dark cicada found in sagebrush steppe and desert grasslands. Males call from low shrubs during the heat of summer afternoons.

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Did You Know?

Its nymphs may spend up to five years underground feeding on root fluids before emerging as adults.

Yucca Plant Bug

A dark metallic blue plant bug that feeds on yucca plants in the arid Southwest. Heavy infestations can cause yellowing and dieback of yucca leaves.

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Did You Know?

It is one of the few insects specialized to feed on the tough, waxy leaves of yucca plants.