When abundant, flea beetles shot-hole the foliage with numerous small round holes. Severely damaged leaves do not recover. Thresholds for this pest are not well defined. Early season weed control and removal of crop debris make fields less attractive to flea beetles. The potato leafhopper migrates north in the spring, arriving before potatoes emerge.
Leafhoppers develop in alfalfa first, moving to potatoes later.
The nymphs resemble the adults but are wingless. When disturbed, the nymphs move across the leaf in a sideways fashion. Damage by leafhoppers is referred to as hopper-burn. Foliage becomes dwarfed, crinkled, and curled. Small triangular brown areas appear at the tips of leaves, gradually spreading around the entire leaf margin.