Red-banded leafhopper

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List

not listed

NatureServe

not listed

Minnesota

not listed

Description

With about 19,500 species described, leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) is by far the largest family of true bugs (Hemiptera). There are about 2,500 leafhopper species in North America. Among the largest and most brightly colorful of these are the subfamily sharpshooters (Cicadellinae). One of the most common of the latter is the red-banded leafhopper. It occurs in the eastern United States and adjacent Canadian provinces. It is found in meadows, woodlands, and gardens on the leaves of a wide variety of plants. Red-banded leafhopper, and several other leafhopper species, are vectors of Pierce’s disease caused by the bacteria Xylella fastidiosa, which causes decline of woody plant species.

Females are ¼″ to 5 ⁄16″ (7.2 to 8.4 mm) long, males a little smaller, ¼″ (6.6 to 7.6 mm) long. The body is flattened laterally and tapered. From above they appear wedge-shaped. It is brightly colored with red stripes on a blue, turquoise, or green background (called green below).

The head is angular, pointed, flattened above, and yellow, with a narrow black band on the outer margin. There are two large compound eyes and two tiny simple eyes (ocelli). There are no longitudinal black lines between the eyes. The antennae are short and bristle-like. They are inserted on the head between the eyes.

The exoskeletal plate covering the thorax (pronotum) does not extend over the abdomen. It is green with an yellow submarginal band near the head. A large red spot on each side merges with the submarginal band. The plate between the wing bases (scutellum) is large, triangular, and red or yellow.

There are two pairs of wings, and they are held tent-like, almost vertically over the body when at rest. The forewings (hemelytra) are thickened, are longer than the body, and completely cover the sides of the body. On the female, the ovipositor extends beyond the wing bases. The wings are comprised of a narrow area (clavus) behind the scutellum when the hemelytra are closed; and the remaining, broad, marginal area (corium). They are green with three red stripes, an inner stripe on the clavus and a middle and outer stripe on the corium. The inner stripe extends along the outer margin of the clavus. When the hemelytra are closed the inner stripes of both hemelytra join to form a deep V. The middle and outer stripes extend from the base to the tip of the corium. They merge at each end creating an enclosed green area. The red stripes are broad and the hemelytra are usually mostly red. There is also a narrow black band around each blunt wingtip. There is no Y-vein in the anal area. The hindwings are thin, membranous, a little shorter than the hemelytra, and concealed beneath the hemelytra.

The legs are yellow. The fourth segment (tibia) of each hind leg has two rows of comb-like spines. The last part of the leg (tarsus), corresponding to a foot, has three segments.

Size

Male: ¼″ (6.6 to 7.6 mm)

Female: ¼″ to 5 ⁄16″ (7.2 to 8.4 mm)

Similar Species

Rhododendron leafhopper (Graphocephala fennahi) is green with red bands. The band on the outer hemelytron is often much reduced or absent.

Habitat

Meadows, woodlands, and gardens

Ecology

Season

Late June to early October

Behavior

Nymphs feed on the underside of leaves.

Adults are agile and can move as fast sideways as forward. They can jump to avoid predators or move to another plant.

Life Cycle

The female lays eggs in the leaves of host plants. The eggs appear as small swellings or bumps on the leaf. Eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. Nymphs pass through five stages (instars) before emerging as adults.

Nymph Food

Same as adult

Adult Food

Sap of more than 50 species of plants

Distribution

Sources

24, 27, 30, 82, 83.

Biodiversity occurrence data published by: Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas (accessed through the Minnesota Biodiversity Atlas Portal, bellatlas.umn.edu. Accessed 9/17/2026).

Graphocephala coccinea (Forster, 1771) in Bánki, O., Roskov, Y., Döring, M., Ower, G., Hernández Robles, D. R., Plata Corredor, C. A., Stjernegaard Jeppesen, T., Örn, A., Pape, T., Hobern, D., Garnett, S., Little, H., DeWalt, R. E., Miller, J., Orrell, T., Aalbu, R., Abbott, J., Abreu, C., Acero P, A., et al. (2026). Catalogue of Life (2026-08-26 XR). Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgyy9

Medler, John T.. (1942). The leafhoppers of Minnesota. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/204089.