- Narrow distribution. On brassicas, cucurbits, beans, peanuts, sweetpotato. An important pest.
- Eggs laid in leaves; nymphs green, shiny black as adults, 2 mm long, with large hind legs, long antennae, piercing mouth parts. Impact unknown.
- Sucking causes white spots, sometimes whole leaf turns greyish-white. Black faecal spots on leaves.
- Cultural control: plant healthy vines; plant new crops far from old; weed; Chinese cabbage, radish, mustard as trap crops; collect and burn trash after harvest.
- Chemical control: PDPs - derris, pyrethrum or chilli; or synthetic pyrethroids.
Pacific Pests, Pathogens and Weeds - Online edition
Pacific Pests, Pathogens, Weeds & Pesticides
Sweetpotato flea hopper (026)
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Summary
Common Name
Sweetpotato flea hopper, flea hopper, garden flea hopper, black garden flea hopper.
Scientific Name
Halticus species (Halticus tibialis, Halticus minutus)
AUTHORS Helen Tsatsia & Grahame Jackson
Information from Capinera JL (1999) Garden fleahopper Halticus bractatus. University of Florida. (http://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/veg/leaf/fleahopper.htm).
Produced with support from the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research under project PC/2010/090: Strengthening integrated crop management research in the Pacific Islands in support of sustainable intensification of high-value crop production, implemented by the University of Queensland and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community.