Description
Adult green plant hoppers are about 10 millimetres in size and are yellowish green or green. They have triangular-shaped wings that are usually folded. Nymphs are smaller in size and are white with tufts on their abdomen.
Common native plant hosts
| Scientific names | Māori/common names |
|---|---|
| Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp., Cyathea spp.,Dicksonia spp. | Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī, whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio |
| Beilschmiedia tarairi | Taraire |
| Brachyglottis repanda | Rangiora, bushman’s friend, bushman’s toilet paper |
| Coprosma spp. | Shiny karamū, twiggy coprosma, taupata, mikimiki, kanono, manono |
| Cordyline spp. | Tī kōuka, cabbage tree, tī |
| Corynocarpus laevigatus | Karaka, kōpī |
| Fuchsia spp | Climbing, trailing or creeping fuchsia, tree fuchsia, kōtukutuku |
| Griselinia spp. | Puka, broadleaf, kāpuka |
| Myoporum laetum | Ngaio |
| Phormium tenax, Phormium cookianum | Flax, harakeke, wharariki, kōrari, swamp flax,mountain flax |
| Piper excelsum | Kawakawa, pepper tree |
| Pittosporum spp. | Karo, tarata, lemonwood, kohukohu, black matipo, kōhūhū |
| Podocarpus tōtara | Tōtara |
| Pseudopanax spp. | Five-finger, lancewood, savage lancewood, whauwhaupaku, horoeka, houpara |
Scientific names
Asplenium spp., Blechnum spp., Cyathea spp.,Dicksonia spp.
Māori/common names
Ferns, ponga, hen and chicken fern, whekī, whekī ponga, pikopiko, kiokio
Scientific names
Beilschmiedia tarairi
Māori/common names
Taraire
Scientific names
Brachyglottis repanda
Māori/common names
Rangiora, bushman’s friend, bushman’s toilet paper
Scientific names
Coprosma spp.
Māori/common names
Shiny karamū, twiggy coprosma, taupata, mikimiki, kanono, manono
Scientific names
Cordyline spp.
Māori/common names
Tī kōuka, cabbage tree, tī
Scientific names
Corynocarpus laevigatus
Māori/common names
Karaka, kōpī
Scientific names
Fuchsia spp
Māori/common names
Climbing, trailing or creeping fuchsia, tree fuchsia, kōtukutuku
Scientific names
Griselinia spp.
Māori/common names
Puka, broadleaf, kāpuka
Scientific names
Myoporum laetum
Māori/common names
Ngaio
Scientific names
Phormium tenax, Phormium cookianum
Māori/common names
Flax, harakeke, wharariki, kōrari, swamp flax,mountain flax
Scientific names
Piper excelsum
Māori/common names
Kawakawa, pepper tree
Scientific names
Pittosporum spp.
Māori/common names
Karo, tarata, lemonwood, kohukohu, black matipo, kōhūhū
Scientific names
Podocarpus tōtara
Māori/common names
Tōtara
Scientific names
Pseudopanax spp.
Māori/common names
Five-finger, lancewood, savage lancewood, whauwhaupaku, horoeka, houpara
Symptoms and damage
Green plant hoppers are sap-sucking insects. The young insects feed on plant leaves and the older insects feed on the stem. Feeding can cause leaf speckling damage and transmission of plant diseases.
Prevention and control tips
- Do not usually require control.
- Chemical insecticides.
- Neem.
- Organic pyrethrum.
- Spray oil.
Natural predators
Steelblue ladybirds which eat its eggs.