Help ID a possible pest (micro moth?)

12 years ago

I have been seeing many of these tiny, not-easily-frightened short-flight insects lately around the tomatoes and really want to know what they are. They seem to prefer the stem or underleaf of my tomato plants. I thought it was a moth but now I'm not so sure as it might be some kind of Othopteran (crickets, katydids, locusts, etc.)

I'd be grateful for any help on the ID!

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Comments (3)

ncrealestateguy
12 years ago
Looks like some type of leaf hopper which is a Homoptera. Sap suckers. But I've never heard of them being a tomato pest.
rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
12 years ago
This does look like a moth to me....but sure can't tell you which one. If you can get more images, that would help. Sometimes, it helps to get just the right angle.

Leafhoppers are very happy to feed on tomato plants, real estate guy. You're right that they don't usually overwhelm a crop.
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PupillaCharites
Original Author
12 years ago
NC and Rhizo, thanks both for your friendly advice.

The dang thing is so diminutive and noteworthy in its acute triangular "up" posture. I'm pretty sure I was wrong to say "Orthoptera" because they seem to have long hind legs in the classification scheme. Leafhopper fits and feels right, but I can't find this posture in any leafhopper images online. I was calling them "delta winged micro-moths" LOL, and his eyes do look like they are on top/side of his head, another leafhopper diagnostic.

It could be a moth, but here's what made me rethink it. First it is so tiny and has a hard body, ruling out most moths for size alone, and I couldn't make out any moth antennae. I attempted to crush it in my forefingers after the pic and I can say the body is much harder than I would ever imagine from a moth (Lepidoptera). To confuse me more, I thought some slippery scales on its wings (making it a moth), but to say that is a stretch and might be my filling in what I expect with my mind only; it was just too small to say anything further and I am not even sure what happened to it when I tried to crush it as it seemed to slip right from between my thumb and index finger and either drop into the grass or perhaps it is built like a tank and escaped. That's too bad since I'd like to get someone to take a look at it and they are hard to grab, I need the fingers of a 6-year old for it.

I might try a bottle with a lid. If there are just a few, is this something I should be worried about? I just read that the beet leafhopper is a major cause of Curly Top Virus in tomato, at least in California, but this one isnÃ¢ÂÂt that species.

One more thing, - does it look like it is feeding on one of the veins of the leaf in the image, because moths don't/can't sap-suck, and maybe the posture is because he is inclining to putting his mouthparts against the leaf, but this is always the posture they have here and I don't see any leafhopper pics like that online.

*confused* I wonder if it is worth bothering the University's entomology department, if it has the potential for a virus, since I'm planning to propagate the plant for more than half of my fall plants' fun.

Any other thoughts please let me know!
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