The leafhopper inserts its eggs into tender plant tissues. Wingless nymphs hatch from the eggs and go through four to five molts before reaching maturity. Up to six generations may be completed between spring and fall. Leafhoppers feed on rice plants by sucking up plant fluids through their long, piercing mouthparts. Damage symptoms associated with leafhoppers include stippling, yellowing, and drying leaves.
Leafhoppers prefer senescing leaves, and symptoms usually occur on older leaves first.
Thus, infestations are rarely localized but appear generally throughout the field. An early and effective weed control program is an important way to discourage the development of economically damaging populations of leafhoppers on weeds and future movement of leafhoppers to rice. Leaf yellowing and stippling can be associated with other stresses, so always check for the presence of leafhoppers. Leafhopper adults, nymphs, and molted skins are easy to see as you walk slowly through a field. Although there are no available treatment thresholds, a good rule of thumb is to treat when young upper leaves become infested and begin to dry.