Vegetable hosts include bean, beet, cabbage, celery, corn, cowpea, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, pea, pepper, potato, pumpkin, squash, sweet potato, and tomato. Damage - Garden fleahoppers cause pale spots to develop on leaves by sucking sap from the foliage. Heavily infested foliage dies and drops from the plant. Defoliation naturally interferes with growth and development of crop causing yield reduction. Life History - Garden fleahoppers overwinter as eggs laid from August through September.
Nymphs emerge in early spring and feed on undersides of leaves.
Nymphs feed and develop from 11 to 35 days before maturing into adults, the duration depending on temperature. Adults live 1 to 3 months. Each female lays approximately 105 eggs. Eggs are inserted into punctures made by the mouthparts in stems or leaves. About 12 to 20 days later, eggs hatch and the life cycle is repeated.