Problem Identifier Unit Screen//v.w/ RR Template

Problem Identifier Unit Screen//v.w/ RR Template Beet Leafhopper

Cucumbers, gourds, muskmelons, pumpkins, summer squash, watermelon, winter squash

Problem
Spotted, pale green, winged insects up to 1/8 inch long hop and fly away quickly when a plant is touched. The leaves are stippled, and may be curled, puckered, and brittle.

Analysis
(Circulifer tenellus)

The beet leafhopper is a western insect that is found only as far east as Missouri and Illinois. It attacks all members of the cucurbit family and frequently infects them with the virus that causes curly top. Plants infected with curly top are stunted, brittle, and sometimes die. The beet leafhopper feeds from early May through June. It sucks the sap and virus from the infected leaves, and then injects the virus into healthy plants at its next feeding stop.

Solution
Treat infested plants with an insecticide containing carbaryl or an insecticidal soap. Be sure to cover the lower surfaces of the leaves. Repeat the treatment at intervals of 7 to 10 days if the plants become reinfested. (For more information on controlling disease-carrying insects, see Vectors of Plant Diseases.)

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