Candy-striped Leafhopper

HEMIPTERA (TRUE BUG)
Piercing and sucking mouthparts - or rostrum - are what differentiate True Bugs from the rest and this means that the insects generally fed on plants as a natural diet. Around 12,000 such species are recognized in North America alone. These bugs can be found on land and in the water and have thick wings kept close to the body. A prominent identification feature is the triangular-shaped scutellum located on the thorax aft of the protonum. The Hemiptera order covers True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, and related insects.

Common Name: "Candy-striped Leafhopper"
Other Names: "Red-banded Leafhopper; Scarlet and Green Leafhopper"
Scientific Name: Graphocephala coccinea

TAXONOMIC BREAKDOWN:
The Taxonomic Breakdown is the scientific way to categorize a partocular insect species from its largest group (Animalia) to its smallest (variable). The Genus and Species categorizations taken together make up the species' scientific name shown above, in this case Graphocephala coccinea.

Kingdom: Animalia

 Phylum: Arthropoda

  Class: Insecta

   Order: Hemiptera

    Family: Cicadellidae

     Genus: Graphocephala

      Species: coccinea

The Candy-striped Leafhopper is also known by these other names:

Red-banded Leafhopper :: Scarlet and Green Leafhopper

The Candy-striped Leafhopper has been identified by site users by the following descriptors:

small    agile    winged    wings    blue    red    green    yellow    vibrant    six-legged    garden    outdoors    pest    lines    lined    stripes    striped

The general likelihood of encountering this insect based on a given month of the year in the state of Tennessee. Generally, the best sighting months are June through August with peak occurring in July.

Below is a representation of the 'smallest-small' and 'largest-large' sizes commonly associated with the Candy-striped Leafhopper. Due to monitor differences, sizes may not be exact on your particular screen. Conversions to millimeters are provided for convenience.

Below you will find the colors most commonly associated with the Candy-striped Leafhopper. Both Primary and Secondary colors are represented in the showcase. Due to monitor differences, colors may not be exact representations.

The Candy-striped Leafhopper can be found in the following Tennessee counties:

Anderson; Bedford; Benton; Bledsoe; Blount; Bradley; Campbell; Cannon; Carroll; Carter; Cheatham; Chester; Claiborne; Clay; Cocke; Coffee; Crockett; Cumberland; Davidson; De Kalb; Decatur; Dickson; Dyer; Fayette; Fentress; Franklin; Gibson; Giles; Grainger; Greene; Grundy; Hamblen; Hamilton; Hancock; Hardeman; Hardin; Hawkins; Haywood; Henderson; Henry; Hickman; Houston; Humphreys; Jackson; Jefferson; Johnson; Knox; Lake; Lauderdale; Lawrence; Lewis; Lincoln; Loudon; Macon; Madison; Marion; Marshall; Maury; McMinn; McNairy; Meigs; Monroe; Montgomery; Moore; Morgan; Obion; Overton; Perry; Pickett; Polk; Putnam; Rhea; Roane; Robertson; Rutherford; Scott; Sequatchie; Sevier; Shelby; Smith; Stewart; Sullivan; Sumner; Tipton; Trousdale; Unicoi; Union; Van Buren; Warren; Washington; Wayne; Weakley; White; Williamson; Wilson.