Potato Leafhopper vs Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Potato Leafhopper Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly
Scientific Name Empoasca fabae Pontania proxima
Order Hemiptera Hymenoptera
Family Cicadellidae Tenthredinidae
Size 3-3.5 mm 3-5 mm
Habitat Farmland Wetlands
Diet Herbivores Herbivores
Regions Eastern North America Europe, Western Asia
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.

Willow Bean-Gall Sawfly

A tiny sawfly that induces distinctive bean-shaped galls on the leaves of various willow species. Each gall contains a single larva feeding on internal gall tissue.

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Did You Know?

The gall-inducing chemicals secreted by the larva redirect the plant's growth to create a nutrient-rich chamber specifically for the larva's benefit.