Evacanthus interruptus Linnaeus, 1758
Description & Identification
Adults are typically 5.5 - 6.5mm long; females are somewhat larger than males because the tip of the abdomen protrudes significantly beyond the tips of the wings.
E. interruptus is very strikingly coloured black and yellow so is
readily distinguished from all other leafhopper species. The
black patterning is variable and in very rare cases the forewings are entirely yellow. As with all leafhoppers, the hind tibiae have one
to three rows of spines running along their entire length. (Harkin & Stewart 2019)
Biology & Ecology
E. interruptus can be found in a variety of habitats, but most
frequently in ones that are moist to wet, from open grasslands and meadows to species-rich fens and marshes. The
host plants include a variety of herbaceous species.
Females lay eggs in the autumn and the nymphs emerge the
following spring. Nymphs moult five times before emerging
as adults. Adults can be found between June and October. (Harkin & Sterwart 2019)
Classification
Synonymy
Cicadella interrupta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Flata interrupta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Euacanthus interrupta (Linnaeus, 1758)
Iassus interruptus (Linnaeus, 1758)
Cicada interrupta Linnaeus, 1758
Cicada bicordata Scopoli, 1763
Cicada hemiptera Piller & Mitterpacher, 1783
Cicada moesta Zetterstedt, 1828
Euacanthus interrupta moesta (Zetterstedt, 1828)
Evacanthus interruptus moestus (Zetterstedt, 1828)
Euacanthus moesta (Zetterstedt, 1828)
Evacanthus nigroflavus Stål, 1858
Euacanthus interrupta xanthus Melichar, 1896
Evacanthus sibiricus Melichar, 1900
Euacanthus interrupta nigricans Matsumura, 1911
Evacanthus miyakei Matsumura, 1911
Evacanthus svaneticus Melichar, 1913
Evacanthus aurantiacus Matsumura, 1915
Evacanthus striatus Kusnezov, 1929
Common Names (full list)
Source: Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species - United States (Contiguous) (ver.2.0, 2022)
Source: National Checklist of all species occurring in Denmark
Source: Taxon list of Auchenorrhyncha from Germany compiled in the context of the GBOL project
Additional Images
Images provided by GBIF data providers. We cannot verify that identifications are correct.
Worldwide Distribution
UK Status: Present
Evacanthus interruptus is a rather local leafhopper but with a widespread distribution across Britain and Ireland. (Harkin & Stewart 2019)
Vector Status
As with all froghoppers and some of the larger leafhoppers, E. interruptus feeds on the liquid contents of the xylem vessels of its host plant. As such, it is a potential vector of the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa which has caused the death of many olive trees in southern Europe, although this disease has not been detected in the UK. (Harkin & Stewart 2019)
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