Citrus Flatid Planthopper
Metcalfa pruinosa
Nymphs produce long, white, waxy filaments that make them look like tiny pieces of lint or 'ghosts' to confuse predators.
- Scientific name
- Metcalfa pruinosa
- Taxonomy
- Animalia › Arthropoda › Insecta › Hemiptera › Flatidae › Metcalfa
- IUCN Red List status
- Least Concern
- Population trend
- increasing
- Biome
- forest
- Habitat
- Deciduous forests, fruit orchards, and urban gardens with plenty of broad-leafed plants.
- Diet
- Phloem sap from a wide variety of host plants, including citrus, grapevines, and ornamental shrubs.
- Range
- North America, Europe, Asia
- Size
- 5 to 8 mm in length
- Lifespan
- 1 year
- Active
- diurnal
- Threats
- Agricultural pesticides and competition with other sap-sucking insects.
- Safe to approach?
- Completely harmless to humans. If found on garden plants, they may be gently brushed off; their white waxy residue is non-toxic but can be sticky to the touch. No medical action required.
Metcalfa pruinosa , the citrus flatid planthopper , is a species of insect in the Flatidae family of planthoppers first described by Thomas Say in 1830.
Photo: Antonia Bookbinder, CC-BY-SA, via iNaturalist
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