kiwi photo lover
Tiny Hopper
I have noticed these tiny ‘hoppers’ when working in the garden before. They are around the size of a match head or a biro tip and seem harmless sitting on the underside of leafs of the two Choisyaternata shrubs I have in my garden.
They are the Passion Vine Hopper, Scolypopa australis once restricted to Australia, the passionvine hopper was introduced to New Zealand over 100 years ago.
It occurs in our warmer areas - Northland and Auckland districts, around much of the North Island coast, and in Nelson and Marlborough, even into the Buller.
This is the Nymphs stage of the lifecycle and they grow from 1 mm to 5 mm as they pass through five instars, or growth stages. This specimen was at the 5 mm end of the scale.
They are pale with brown markings, and have a tuft of white waxy filaments on the abdomen which they move up and down rather like a peacock's tail fan. Nymphs lack functional wings, but wing buds appear during development, and are quite large in the last instar. Like adults they have a 'beak' for sucking sap, and hop if disturbed.
Both nymphs and adults suck sap from tender stems and shoots. Despite their common name, passionvine hoppers feed on a great variety of exotic and native plants as well as the passionfruit vine. These include tutu, citrus, kiwifruit, hydrangea, privet, tecomaria, jasmine, wisteria, New Zealand flax, and various ferns.
Tiny Hopper
I have noticed these tiny ‘hoppers’ when working in the garden before. They are around the size of a match head or a biro tip and seem harmless sitting on the underside of leafs of the two Choisyaternata shrubs I have in my garden.
They are the Passion Vine Hopper, Scolypopa australis once restricted to Australia, the passionvine hopper was introduced to New Zealand over 100 years ago.
It occurs in our warmer areas - Northland and Auckland districts, around much of the North Island coast, and in Nelson and Marlborough, even into the Buller.
This is the Nymphs stage of the lifecycle and they grow from 1 mm to 5 mm as they pass through five instars, or growth stages. This specimen was at the 5 mm end of the scale.
They are pale with brown markings, and have a tuft of white waxy filaments on the abdomen which they move up and down rather like a peacock's tail fan. Nymphs lack functional wings, but wing buds appear during development, and are quite large in the last instar. Like adults they have a 'beak' for sucking sap, and hop if disturbed.
Both nymphs and adults suck sap from tender stems and shoots. Despite their common name, passionvine hoppers feed on a great variety of exotic and native plants as well as the passionfruit vine. These include tutu, citrus, kiwifruit, hydrangea, privet, tecomaria, jasmine, wisteria, New Zealand flax, and various ferns.