Biosecurity threat, not present in Australia
Empoasca vitis (Goethe)
Smaller green leafhopper
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
Empoasca vitis (Goethe, 1875)
Common Name: Smaller green leafhopper, Green leafhopper, Grape leafhopper, Green Tea leafhopper
Subfamily/Tribe: Typhlocybinae/Empoascini
Distribution: Europe, Algeria, Eygpt, Israel, Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, India, Bangladesh, Myanmar (Burma), Japan, North Korea, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia.
Economic Status: Empoasca vitis is a polyphagous pest but has greatest impact on Chinese gooseberry, potato, tea, kiwifruit and grapevines. Unlike most typhlocybine leafhoppers which are cell content feeders, this species feeds on phloem tissue which causes leaf necrosis and can substantially reduce fruit or tuber yield as well as reduce the quality of fruit (e.g., lowers sugar content in grapes). It is also more likely to be able to transmit phloem-resident phytoplasma diseases than other Typhlocybinae.
Notes: There has been confusion in the literature about the identity of E. vitis and some records remain to be confirmed. No species of Empoasca is known to occur in Australia. However, there are many other species within the tribe Empoascini with which E. vitis could be confused (see list of Australian Empoascini). Identification should always be confirmed with genitalia dissection by a trained taxonomist. Further information on this species can be found at https://www.plantwise.org/KnowledgeBank/Datasheet.aspx?dsid=20862
Image: David Gould, October 2009 (used with permission)