Potato Leafhopper vs Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Potato Leafhopper Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet
Scientific Name Empoasca fabae Xanthorhoe ferrugata
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Cicadellidae Geometridae
Size 3-3.5 mm 22-28 mm wingspan
Habitat Farmland Woodlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Europe
Conservation Not Evaluated Least Concern

Potato Leafhopper

A small bright green leafhopper that causes hopperburn on potato, bean, and alfalfa leaves. It migrates northward each spring on storm fronts from the Gulf states.

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Did You Know?

It runs sideways when disturbed, a distinctive behavior that helps distinguish it from other leafhoppers.

Dark-barred Twin-spot Carpet

A common but variable carpet moth found in gardens and hedgerows. Wing pattern ranges from pale to very dark. Larvae feed on bedstraws and other low plants.

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Did You Know?

So variable in appearance that dark and light forms were once described as separate species.