Flowering fruit trees, e.g., crabapple, also have been reported as hosts of potato leafhopper. A few of the economic plants that are infested with this insect are alfalfa, apple, eggplant, peanut, potato, soybean, and sweet potato. Damage - Feeding and egg laying cause damage, e.g., curling, stunting, and dwarfing, to the infested plant. The leaves turn yellow, or sometimes pink or purple, and become wilted or stunted. Later, the leaf becomes brown and dies.
Larger nymphs cause most of the damage.
The injection of saliva into the phloem during feeding by potato leafhoppers may cause disease-like symptoms. Floral development may be reduced or obstructed completely. History - When dispersing northward, populations of potato leafhopper increase on young oak and hickory foliage and then attack other plant species. Potato leafhoppers usually are first found in North Carolina about mid-May. Eggs are deposited in the midrib or larger veins of the leaves, or in the petioles or stems, and hatch in about 10 days.