Rhododendron leafhopper
Graphocephala fennahi
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How to spot it
The rhododendron leafhopper (Graphocephala fennahi) is a strikingly turquoise green leafhopper with orange red stripes that feeds on rhododendron and azalea from early summer into autumn. Its yellow green nymphs sit on the underside of the leaves as early as May, while the jumping adults appear from July. The direct feeding damage shows as pale, speckled patches on the leaves, but the real danger is the egg laying into the bud scales in late summer and autumn: this carries spores of the fungus Pycnostysanus azaleae into the wounds, and the affected flower buds turn brown to black and dry up over winter before they can open in spring. The best way to spot an infestation is by the clearly visible leafhoppers on the underside of the leaves and by the blackened, felty buds in late winter.
Prevention
Check the undersides of the leaves of your rhododendrons and azaleas regularly from early summer and pick off the leafhoppers you can see, as long as the population is still manageable. Cut out dried up buds that have turned brown to black consistently in late winter and dispose of them with the household waste rather than on the compost, so that the fungal spores do not spread further. An open, airy site with enough space between plants lets the leaves dry off faster and makes the planting less attractive to the leafhoppers. Encouraging beneficial creatures such as birds, lacewings and predatory bugs in the garden, for example with hedges and perches nearby, additionally helps to keep the population small in a natural way.
Affected plants
These plants in our database are especially susceptible.
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