two-striped planthopper

July through September

Fields

Two-striped planthopper is a common planthopper that resembles a leaf in its environment. It occurs in the eastern half of the United States and in adjacent Canadian provinces.

Adults are usually green, rarely pink, and 3⁄16″ to 5⁄16″ (5.2 to 8.4 mm). The body is flattened laterally. From above it appears wedge-shaped.

The top of the head (vertex) is flat, horizontal, and rounded, not strongly projected forward between the eyes. When viewed from the side the face is straight, without a shelf-like step. The upper part of the face (frons), corresponding to the forehead, is mostly keeled. The antennae are attached on the sides of the head below the eyes. They are short, bristle-like, and three-segmented. The first segment is small and collar-like. There are two brown stripes, one on each lateral margin of the vertex and thorax, that extend along the inner margins of the forewings.

The forewings are broadly oval and are longer than the body. They are prominently and irregularly net-veined over their entire surface. They are held almost vertical when at rest. The leading (costal) margin is also net-veined—there are no parallel veins along the margin. Two anal veins meet beyond the middle of the wing to form a Y vein. The hindwings are fully developed.

On the hind leg, the fourth segment (tibia) has spines at the tip only, no lateral spines. The last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to a foot, has three segments. On the hind leg, the second tarsal segment is minute with a rounded tip and a spine at each side.

It feeds on a wide variety of plants

Sources: 24, 27, 29, 30, 82, 83.

Location: Woodbury, Minnesota