Rhododendron Leafhopper vs Water Measurer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Rhododendron Leafhopper Water Measurer
Scientific Name Graphocephala fennahi Hydrometra australis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadellidae Hydrometridae
Size 8-9 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Underground Ponds & Lakes
Diet Fungus Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America, invasive in Europe Americas, from southern United States to South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Rhododendron Leafhopper

A brightly colored red and blue-green leafhopper that feeds on rhododendrons. It vectors a fungus that causes rhododendron bud blast disease.

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Did You Know?

Its vivid candy-stripe coloration makes it one of the most recognizable leafhoppers in gardens.

Water Measurer

A very slender, elongate semi-aquatic bug that walks slowly on water surfaces in the Americas. Its head is exceptionally long and narrow with a small rostrum at the tip. It moves with slow, deliberate steps along pond margins.

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Did You Know?

It is so lightweight that it can walk on the water surface without breaking the surface tension, leaving no visible dimples where its feet contact the water.