Sugar Beet Leaf-hopper Clover Leaf-hopper 



DESCRIPTION 



The Egg 



The eggs, which are pearly white, are deposited in the tender stems 

 of beet leaves. Late in the season the elliptical scars caused by the 

 punctures made in depositing the eggs are sometimes very numerous. 



The Nymph 



The young leaf-hoppers or nymphs (Fig. 6, Plate VIII, Page 25) are 

 very minute, active little fellows of a creamy white color. They are so 

 small and so easily disturbed that they are found only by making very 

 careful search for them. 



The Adult 



The fully matured sugar beet leaf-hopper (Fig. 7, Plate VIII, Page 

 25) is about one-eighth of an inch long, and with the exception of the eyes, 

 is of a light creamy white color. They are so exceedingly small and active 

 that they are very difficult to observe in the field except as they fly from 

 plant to plant. 



LIFE HISTORY 



The following summary of the life history and habits is taken from 

 U. S. Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 181, by Harry B. Shaw: 



"The beet leaf-hopper is single brooded and begins to deposit its 

 tiny, white eggs in the stems and midribs of beet leaves from about the 

 end of June — the time doubtless varying somewhat with the locality and 

 local climatic conditions— until the end of August. Probably the major- 

 ity of the eggs are deposited by the middle of July. The nymphs begin 

 to appear about the second week in July, and the writer has observed 

 their appearance in considerable numbers in Idaho as late as the end of 

 August. Slit-like scars are produced on the beet stems where the eggs 

 have been deposited ; sometimes these ovipository scars are very numer- 

 ous and conspicuous. The egg stage appears to last about fifteen days, 

 and the young insects reach the adult stage in about twenty days more. 

 These adults hibernate and resume their activity the following spring. 

 In Utah and Idaho they have been seen on weeds in May and on beets 

 near the end of May or early in June. The greater portion of the nymph 

 stage appears to be spent among the inner leaves and petioles of the plant, 

 where the egg is hatched, and as the insect approaches the adult stage it 

 gradually works outward. 



"The beet leaf-hopper is an exceedingly active insect; its favorite 

 mode of locomotion is by hops of lightning-like rapidity. The range of 

 its leaps seems to be about 18 inches. The adult while on beets uses its 

 wings but little. In common with several closely related species it is a 

 true sucking insect; it is provided with powerful head parts and a stout 

 bill. The latter when not in use is tucked snugly against the under side 



of the body." 



(b) CLOVER LEAF-HOPPER 



(Fig. 8, Plate VIII, Page 25) 



The clover leaf-hopper is frequently encountered in quite large num- 

 bers in beet fields and is often mistaken for the sugar beet leaf-hopper 

 just discussed. It can be easily distinguished from it, however, by its 



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