Damaged plant tissue will often wilt and may abort. In cotton, damaged pinhead squares may show a slight discoloration of the infected anthers. In fruits and vegetables, damage may appear as indented or cat-faced injury. Fleahopper injury is also associated with poor seed germination. This is especially important in seed production systems like cotton, alfalfa, clover and canola.
All life stages are capable of causing plant injury.
Fleahoppers are active and present throughout the year. Both adults and immatures can be found overwintering in trash around field borders. In spring, adults emerge, mate and lay eggs on suitable hosts. Eggs are laid singly in cuts made during feeding in succulent plant tissue. The total period from egg to mature adult takes approximately 15 days during summer.