Leafhoppers

and cercopes

It is true that leafhoppers do not walk on the surface of the ground since they jump or fly from one plant to another,
but it is not uncommon to find some of their representatives in a trap pot

Classification (systematic position) Source : INPN     Animal Kingdom Embranchement (Phylum) : Arthropoda Subphylum: Pancrustacea Class: Hexapod Subclass: Insecta Order: Hemiptera Suborder: Cicadomorpha

about 1cm

Morphological characteristics
Insects having an elongated body in 3 parts (head, thorax, abdomen), "triangle" head seen from the side and rounded when seen from above, 3 pairs of legs with the hind legs adapted for jumping, 2 pairs of wings which, depending on the species can be used or not, presence of a biting-sucking rostrum.

Life cycle
Leafhoppers lay their eggs in plant tissues such as in a bud, under the bark of a tree or under the epidermis of a leaf. The larvae, which look like small adults, emerge from the eggs in the spring and will have five stages before reaching adulthood by successive molts.

Diet
Leafhoppers feed only on the sap of plants thanks to their rostrum, so they are phytophagous. For example, the red leafhopper or black-and-red spotted spittlebug ( Cercopis vulnerata ), frothy leafhopper ( Philaenus spumarius ) or green leafhopper ( Cicadella viridis ) may be encountered in gardens. Most leafhopper species are associated with a small group of plant species, but some are polyphagous and feed on the sap of a larger number of plant species.

Natural predators or regulators
Leafhoppers can be trapped by spiders and captured by birds.

Habitats
Leafhopper species are usually found near groups of plants whose sap they consume.

Interests in the garden
Leafhoppers are tolerable in gardens because they are few. The majority of leafhoppers are harmless for the garden but when they are too numerous they can cause slight growth retardation of the plants and discoloration of the leaves.

Did you know ?
The white leafhopper (Metcalfa pruinosa) deposits a sugar-rich liquid (honeydew) on plants, which is then transformed by bees into honey and which you can find at some beekeepers (Metcalfa honey). Some leafhopper larvae protect themselves from predators and the sun thanks to a mass of white foam (secretion into which the larva blows air) deposited on a blade of grass (cuckoo spit)