Sharpshooter
Guides
Graphocephala versuta
Versute Sharpshooter
Graphocephala versuta is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae. It is a member of the genus Graphocephala, which includes several colorful and economically significant leafhopper species. Like other sharpshooters, it possesses piercing-sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on plant xylem fluids. The species has been documented in various North American habitats and is part of the diverse leafhopper fauna that includes vectors of plant pathogens.
Helochara communis
bog leafhopper
Helochara communis, commonly known as the bog leafhopper, is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae. The species has been documented to possess paired mycetomes within its abdomen containing multiple bacterial symbionts, with research demonstrating complex endosymbiotic relationships involving symbiote translocation and auxiliary cells. As a member of the sharpshooter group, it belongs to a lineage known for xylem-feeding and associated roles in plant pathogen transmission.
Helochara delta
Helochara delta is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, first described by Oman in 1943. It belongs to the subfamily Cicadellinae, a group commonly known as sharpshooters. The species has been recorded from western North America, with observations in British Columbia, Washington, and California. Like other members of its genus, it is associated with vascular plant hosts, though specific ecological details remain poorly documented.
Helochara forceps
Helochara forceps is a species of leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, described by Hamilton in 1986. It belongs to the genus Helochara within the tribe Cicadellini. The species epithet "forceps" likely refers to some morphological feature of the male genitalia, a common naming convention in leafhopper taxonomy. It is one of relatively few described species in this genus, which is part of the diverse leafhopper fauna of North America.
Homalodisca elongata
Homalodisca elongata is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, tribe Proconiini. It was described by Ball in 1936. The species belongs to a genus containing several economically important vectors of plant pathogens, including the glassy-winged sharpshooter (H. vitripennis), though H. elongata itself has received limited specific study. Like other proconiine sharpshooters, it possesses piercing-sucking mouthparts adapted for feeding on plant xylem.
Homalodisca ichthyocephala
Homalodisca ichthyocephala is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, tribe Proconiini, first described by Signoret in 1854. The species has been documented exhibiting thanatosis (death-feigning), representing the first comprehensive report of this antipredator behavior in the family Cicadellidae. Research from Zirándaro, Guerrero, Mexico identified five sequential phases of thanatosis: mechanical disturbance, catatonic, myoclonic, motor recovery, and escape. Females demonstrate significantly longer motor recovery phases than males. The species belongs to a genus containing important vectors of plant pathogens, including Xylella fastidiosa.
Homalodisca insolita
johnsongrass sharpshooter
Homalodisca insolita, commonly known as the johnsongrass sharpshooter, is a proconiine sharpshooter in the family Cicadellidae. It is native to southern North America and has been documented spreading northward into the southeastern United States. The species is a known vector of Xylella fastidiosa, a xylem-limited bacterium that causes Pierce's disease in grapevines and other plant diseases. Its eggs serve as hosts for egg parasitoids including Paracentrobia americana (Trichogrammatidae).
Homalodisca liturata
smoketree sharpshooter, lacertate sharpshooter
Homalodisca liturata, commonly known as the smoketree sharpshooter or lacertate sharpshooter, is a relatively large leafhopper species native to North America, measuring approximately 13 mm in length. The species exhibits strong host-plant associations, with documented preference for desert smoketree (Psorothamnus spinosus) where available, though it utilizes multiple host species. H. liturata is a known vector of Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterial pathogen causing Pierce's disease in grapevines and other plant diseases. Both sexes produce acoustic signals, a notable behavioral trait among sharpshooters. The species has been documented harboring phytoplasma bacteria related to 'Candidatus Phytoplasma hispanicum' in its salivary glands, suggesting potential involvement in transmitting yellows-type diseases.
Homalodisca vitripennis
Glassy-winged Sharpshooter
Homalodisca vitripennis, commonly known as the glassy-winged sharpshooter, is a large leafhopper native to the southeastern United States and northeastern Mexico. It has become a major invasive pest in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands, where it vectors Xylella fastidiosa, the bacterium causing Pierce's disease of grapevine—a lethal condition for vineyards. The species exhibits complex vibrational communication during mating, with males and females engaging in duets using species-specific signals. Populations in California's Central Valley have developed significant resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides, particularly imidacloprid, creating challenges for chemical management. Classical biological control using egg parasitoids from the genus Gonatocerus (family Mymaridae) has proven effective, with parasitism rates reaching 80-100% in some areas.
Oncometopia
sharpshooters
Oncometopia is a genus of sharpshooters (leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae) found in North and South America, erected by Carl Stål in 1869. Species range from 9.4 to 15.0 mm in length and are characterized by distinctive morphological features including a moderately produced head, coriaceous forewings with apical membranes, and specialized hindleg tarsomere proportions. Several species are economically important as vectors of plant pathogens, particularly Xylella fastidiosa, which causes diseases such as phony peach disease and citrus variegated chlorosis.
Oncometopia alpha
Oncometopia alpha is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, first described by Fowler in 1899. It belongs to the tribe Proconiini, a group known for their powerful jumping ability and xylem-feeding habits. The species has been recorded from multiple U.S. states including Florida, Georgia, Arizona, and Massachusetts, as well as from Durango, Mexico, suggesting a broad but patchy distribution across North America.
Oncometopia hamiltoni
Oncometopia hamiltoni is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae, described by Rakitov in 2016. It belongs to the tribe Proconiini, a group of large, active leafhoppers known for their xylem-feeding habits and distinctive "raining" behavior caused by forceful excretion of excess fluid. The species is part of a genus containing several economically significant sharpshooters that have been studied for their role in plant disease transmission and their interactions with egg parasitoids.
Oncometopia nigricans
Black-winged Sharpshooter
Oncometopia nigricans, commonly known as the Black-winged Sharpshooter, is a leafhopper species in the family Cicadellidae, tribe Proconiini. It is a suspected vector of lethal yellowing disease of coconut palms, a devastating phytoplasma disease affecting coconut production. The species has been documented in Florida and Brazil (Bahia), with studies focusing on its molting patterns and longevity across various host plants.
Oncometopia orbona
Broad-headed Sharpshooter
Oncometopia orbona, commonly known as the broad-headed sharpshooter, is a large leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae. It feeds on xylem sap from plants, processing large volumes of nutrient-poor fluid and excreting the excess as honeydew—a behavior that creates the phenomenon of 'raining trees.' The species possesses distinctive white chalky brochosomes on its sides, used to powder egg-laying sites. It is a strong flier with excellent eyesight and serves as a host for egg parasitoids in the family Mymaridae.
Paraulacizes
sharpshooters
Paraulacizes is a genus of sharpshooters (leafhoppers) in the family Cicadellidae, established by Young in 1968. The genus comprises approximately 11 described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Species in this genus are relatively large, robust leafhoppers with distinctive coloration patterns. Paraulacizes irrorata, the speckled sharpshooter, is among the most recognizable and well-studied species, serving as a representative for understanding the biology of this genus.
Paraulacizes irrorata
speckled sharpshooter
A large and distinctive North American sharpshooter leafhopper, readily recognizable by its size and speckled pattern. Adults feed on phloem of grasses and are active from early spring through summer. Eggs are laid in woody twigs, stems, or petioles, where they are vulnerable to parasitism by the egg parasitoid *Gonatocerus fasciatus*.
Proconiini
sharpshooters
Proconiini is a large tribe of xylem-feeding leafhoppers (Cicadellidae: Cicadellinae) comprising approximately 422 species in 58 genera, restricted to the New World. Members are commonly known as sharpshooters due to their rapid, directed flight patterns. The tribe includes major agricultural pests and vectors of Xylella fastidiosa, a phytopathogenic bacterium causing diseases in citrus, grapes, almonds, and other crops. Proconiini species exhibit distinctive morphological adaptations including brachyptery in high-altitude Andean forms and unique egg brochosome production for offspring protection.
Sibovia
Sibovia is a genus of sharpshooter leafhoppers in the family Cicadellidae, established by China in 1927. The genus contains at least 30 described species. Sharpshooters are known for their ability to shoot droplets of liquid waste from their anal opening, a behavior that gives the group its common name. As members of the tribe Cicadellini, species in this genus are part of a diverse lineage of xylem-feeding insects.
Tylozygus
Tylozygus is a genus of sharpshooters in the family Cicadellidae, established by Fieber in 1866. The genus comprises approximately six described species distributed primarily in the Americas. Members of this genus are leafhoppers that feed on plant vascular fluids. The genus is placed in the tribe Cicadellini within the subfamily Cicadellinae.
Xyphon flaviceps
Yellow-headed Leafhopper
Xyphon flaviceps, commonly known as the yellow-headed leafhopper, is a species of sharpshooter leafhopper in the family Cicadellidae. The species was described by Riley in 1880. It is classified within the tribe Cicadellini, a diverse group of leafhoppers characterized by their jumping ability and xylem-feeding habits. The common name refers to a distinctive yellow coloration on the head.