EENY-827/IN1470: Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper Amrasca biguttula (Ishida) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadellidae)

The Featured Creatures collection provides in-depth profiles of insects, nematodes, arachnids and other organisms relevant to Florida. These profiles are intended for the use of interested laypersons with some knowledge of biology as well as academic audiences.

Introduction

Amrasca biguttula (Ishida, 1913) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), also known as the two-spot cotton leafhopper, became established in Florida in 2024 where it causes significant damage to a range of ornamental and horticultural crops (Liburd et al. 2024). It is a major pest of okra (Abelmoschus esculentum L.), eggplant (Solanum melongena L.) and various types of hibiscus (Hibiscus spp. L.). It is also a major pest of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in Asia and poses a threat to cotton production in Florida and the southeast USA (Esquivel 2025). The pest poses a significant regulatory burden to the state in addition to damage presently inflicted on production of various horticultural crops, and the threat to cotton grown in the state’s Panhandle.

Synonymy (summarized from Xue et al. 2017)

Chlorita biguttula Ishida, 1913

Empoasca biguttula Shiraki, 1913

Zygina punctata Melichar, 1914

Empoasca bipunctata Schumacher, 1915

Chlorita bimaculata Matsumura, 1916

Empoasca devastans Distant, 1918

Empoasca uniguttata Jacobi, 1941

Empoasca quadrinotatissima Dlabola, 1957

Empoasca biguttula (Ishida)

Amrasca devastans (Distant)

Sundapteryx biguttula biguttula (Ishida)

Sundapteryx biguttula punctata (Melichar)

Empoasca schumacheri Metcalf, 1968

Amrasca biguttula (Ishida)

Amrasca biguttula punctata (Melichar)

Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida)

Distribution of Amrasca biguttula

(CABI: Amrasca biguttula, Indian cotton jassid page)

Africa: Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Mozambique, Niger, South Africa, Tanzania

Asia: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Caribbean: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Cuba, Puerto Rico, Saint Kitts and Nevis, U.S. Virgin Islands

Central America: Honduras (Michel and Orozco 2025)

North America: Mexico, United States of America (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas)

Oceania: Australia, Christmas Island, French Polynesia, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands

South America: Brazil

Description (Madar and Katti 2011; Jayasimha et al. 2012; Santana-Nieves et al. 2025)

The following pictures can be used as a guideline for field identification, but authoritative identification requires microscopic examination of the genital structures of male specimens or molecular confirmation. Specimens on which regulatory decisions are based should be confirmed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services Division of Plant Industry (FDACS-DPI). No authoritative morphological identifications can be made from nymphs under any circumstances.

Egg

The egg is yellowish, translucent and oval. It is inserted in plant tissue and not typically observed.

Nymphs

Close-up view of a tiny first instar Amrasca biguttula with a pale yellowish-green translucent body and prominent eyes. — Figure 1. The first instar is about 0.7 mm (0.03 in) in length with a pale yellowish-green body and conspicuous eyes.
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Close-up view of second instar Amrasca biguttula, which is pale green. — Figure 2. The second instar is about 1.08 mm (0.04 in) in length with budding wing pads and eyes duller than the first instar.
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Close-up picture of third instar Amrasca biguttula, which is pale yellowish-green and has beginning wing pads. — Figure 3. The third instar is about 1.3 mm (0.05 in) in length, yellowish-green, with small wing pads.
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Close-up picture of a fourth instar Amrasca biguttula, which has prominent pale eyes and wing pads. — Figure 4. The fourth instar is about 1.64 mm (0.06 in) in length with wing pads extending to the fourth abdominal segment.
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Close-up picture of a fifth instar Amrasca biguttula, which is uniformly green and has wing pads and prominent pale brown eyes. — Figure 5. The fifth instar can range from approximately 2.0 mm–2.28 mm (~1/16 in) in length, depending on host plant.
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Adult

Table 1. Length in mm* of different life stages of Amrasca biguttula

Mean (x̄) length ± SEM (mm)
Egg	0.61 ± 0.05	Not measured
1st instar	0.68 ± 0.05	0.68–0.71
2nd instar	1.08 ± 0.02	1.08–1.12
3rd instar	1.30 ± 0.05	1.28–1.36
4th instar	1.64 ± 0.06	1.56–1.72
5th instar	2.06 ± 0.02	2.25–2.29
Adult male	2.10 ± 0.06	2.61–2.65(sexes not measured separately)
Adult female	2.74 ± 0.13
*Note: 2 mm ~ 1/16 in.

View Table

Distinguishing Males from Females

A. Close-up picture of the abdomen of a male Amrasca biguttula from underneath showing abundant long white bristles.
B. Close-up picture of the abdomen of a female Amrasca biguttula from underneath showing the slender ovipositor like a thin brown line indicated by a yellow arrow. — Figure 8. The end of the male abdomen (A) viewed from beneath is characterized by abundant long bristles whereas the female abdomen (B) has fewer, shorter white bristles and the pale brown ovipositor in the center (indicated by yellow arrow).
Credit: Ryan Batts, UF/IFAS

Life Cycle

Female leafhoppers insert eggs inside plant tissue into leaf veins (Sharma and Singh 2002) or near leaf veins (DeLong 1971). Most life cycle studies of Amrasca biguttula describe five nymphal instars (Jayasimha et al. 2012; Madar and Katti 2011; Singh et al. 2018), although Nagrare et al. (2012) describe four. Most leafhoppers pass through five nymphal instars, but environmental conditions may result in four or six for some species (DeLong 1971).

Madar and Katti (2011) describe the temporal duration of each life stage of Amrasca biguttula on sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.), and Jayasimha et al. (2012) and Singh et al. (2018) described life cycle parameters on okra. Each study was conducted at ambient (“room”) temperature, and temperature information was not provided. The mean duration of each life stage from these studies is presented in Table 2. Jayasimha et al. (2012) estimate the mean total nymphal period as 7.4 days on okra, whereas Madar and Katti (2011) estimate the mean total nymphal period as 14.8 days on sunflower. Madar and Katti (2011) and Jayasimha et al. (2012) concur that the average male lifespan is about 22 days, whereas Singh et al. (2018) recorded shorter lifespans for adults. Most studies report a pre-ovipositional period of about three days, and that females produce between sixteen and twenty offspring on average during their lifetime.

Table 2. Mean (x̄) of life stage in days (± SEM)

Life stage	Madar and Katti (2011) on sunflower	Jayasimha et al. (2012) on okra	Singh et al. (2018) on okra
Egg	6.8 ± 0.5	6.4 ± 0.4	5.1 ± 1.1
1st instar	3.6 ± 0.5	1.5 ± 0.3	2.1 ± 0.7
2nd instar	3.1 ± 0.2	1.2 ± 0.2	3.5 ± 1.0
3rd instar	3.6 ± 0.5	1.2 ± 0.4	3.7 ± 1.1
4th instar	1.8 ± 0.4	1.6 ± 0.4	4.4 ± 1.1
5th instar	2.8 ± 0.4	2.0 ± 0.3	4.7 ± 1.0
Adult male	22.8 ± 1.5	22.9 ± 1.9	15.8 ± 1.6
Adult female	26.0 ± 1.7	26.7 ± 1.9	18.7 ± 1.8

View Table

Hosts

Amrasca biguttula has a very broad host range. Some common hosts and published references are included in Table 3.

Table 3. A partial list of common host plants of Amrasca biguttula

Botanical family	Scientific name	Common name	Source
Amaranthaceae	Achyranthes aspera L.	chaff flower	Saeed et al. 2015
Asteraceae	Cynara cardunculus var scolymus L.	artichoke	Bhatia 1932 in Ghani 1946
	^PHelianthus annuus L.	common sunflower	Ghani 1946
	Xanthium strumarium L.	cocklebur	Saeed et al. 2015
	Calendula officinalis L.	marigold	Singh et al. 2018
Brassicaceae	Raphanus sativus L.	radish	Singh et al. 2018
Chenopodiaceae	Chenopodiastrum murale L.	nettle leaved goosefoot	Saeed et al. 2015
Cucurbitaceae	Cucumis sativus L.	cucumber	Saeed et al. 2015
	Cucumis melo L.	muskmelon	Saeed et al. 2015
	Citrullus lanatus (Thumb) Mansf.	watermelon	Saeed et al. 2015
Euphorbiaceae	Ricinus communis L.	castor bean	Subba Rao et al. 1968
Fabaceae	Arachis hypogaea L.	peanut	Singh et al. 2018
	Glycine max (L.) Merr.	soybean	Singh et al. 2018
	Vigna unguiculata subsp. cylindrica (L.) Walp.	cowpea (catjang)	Subba Rao et al. 1968
	Vigna radiata (L.) R. Wilczek	mung bean	Singh et al. 2018
	Pisum sativum L.	pea	Saeed et al. 2015
	Cajanus cajan (Millsp)	pigeon pea	Kamble and Sathe 2015
Malvaceae	^PGossypium hirsutum L.	cotton	Subba Rao et al. 1968
	Alcea rosea L.	hollyhock	Ghani 1946
	Abutilon indicum (L.) Sweet	mallow	Saeed et al. 2015
	^PAbelmoschus esculentum L.	okra	Subba Rao et al. 1968
	Hibiscus mutabilis L.	cotton rose	Ghani 1946
	Hibiscus rosa sinensis L.	Chinese hibiscus	Kamble and Sathe 2015
	Hibiscus sabdariffa L.	roselle	Liburd et al. 2024
	Hibiscus tiliaceus L.	sea hibiscus	Ghani 1946
	Corchorus spp. L.	jute	Xue et al. 2017
Poaceae	Cynodon dactylon (L) Pers.	Bermuda grass	Kamble and Sathe 2015
	Chloris gayana Kunth	Rhodes grass	Singh et al. 2018
	Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench	sorghum	Singh et al. 2018
	Zea mays L.	corn	Singh et al. 2018
Solanaceae	^PSolanum melongena L.	eggplant	Subba Rao et al. 1968
	Datura metel L. var. Fastuosa	devil’s trumpet	Saeed et al. 2015
	Solanum tuberosum L.	potato	Subba Rao et al. 1968
	Nicotiana tabacum L.	tobacco	Saeed et al. 2015
^P indicates a preferred U.S. host (CAPS 2025).

View Table

Economic Importance

Ahmed et al. (1985) present historical data from Pakistan indicating annual yield losses in cotton due to Amrasca biguttula ranging from 19% to 49%. In okra and eggplant, losses may reach up to 50% and 37%, respectively (Ahmed 1982). Specific yield loss data are not available for other crops; however, there is substantial documentation of A. biguttula as a serious economic pest of sunflower, hibiscus and pigeon pea (Ghani 1946; Kamble and Sathe 2015; Singh et al. 2018).

Damage

Amrasca biguttula feeding damage causes hopperburn (necrosis and drying of leaf margins) (Figures 9 and 10); leaf yellowing and curling (Figure 11); and stunted growth. Many leafhoppers cause hopperburn, and symptoms can vary among different host plants. Leafhoppers are phloem feeders, and hopperburn is believed to result from a combination of toxins in the leafhopper saliva and the response mechanisms of the affected plant type (Backus et al. 2005). Amrasca biguttula can also contaminate plants and crops by producing honeydew, a substrate for sooty mold (Kamble and Sathe 2015).

A picture of an okra field with leafhopper damage producing yellowing on the leaf edges. — Figure 10. Hopperburn on okra from infestation with *Amrasca biguttula*.
Credit: Hugh Smith, UF/IFAS

A picture of a hibiscus plant with leafhopper damage producing yellowing on the leaf edges. — Figure 11. *Amrasca biguttula* damage on hibiscus.
Credit: Hugh Smith, UF/IFAS

Management

Carbamate, neonicotinoid, organophosphate and pyrethroid insecticides are routinely used for management of Amrasca biguttula on cotton and okra in Asia; however, the development of resistance to these insecticide groups is common, particularly in cotton (Sagar and Balikai 2014). Presently, UF/IFAS researchers are evaluating conventional and biopesticides for management of Amrasca biguttula on ornamentals and vegetables in Florida, and tests on cotton are being conducted in Alabama and Georgia.

Generalist predators have been observed associated with Amrasca biguttula in Asia, and eggs are parasitized by trichogrammatid and mymarid parasitoids (Saeed et al. 2015; Adachi-Hagimor et al. 2020). There is presently limited information available on the potential of naturally occurring natural enemies to help suppress populations of Amrasca biguttula in Florida. It is noteworthy that populations of Amrasca biguttula are abundant on okra, eggplant and hibiscus in community gardens in Manatee County, where few or no insecticides are applied.

Varietal tolerance to Amrasca biguttula has been identified in eggplant (Bindra and Mahal 1981), cotton (Sharma 1983) and okra (Sandi et al. 2017), with tolerance primarily associated with increased length and density of leaf hairs.

References

Adachi-Hagimori, T., S. V. Triapitsyn, and T. Uesato. 2020. “Egg Parasitoids (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae) of Amrasca biguttula (Ishida) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on Okinawa Island, a Pest of Okra in Japan.” Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aspen.2020.07.008

Ahmed, M.1982. “Evaluation of Yield Losses in Brinjal (Solanum melongena) by Amrasca devastans.” Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Research 3:277–280.

Ahmed, Z., M. R. Attique, and A. Rashid. 1985. “An Estimate of the Loss in Cotton in Pakistan Attributable to the jassid Amrasca devastans.” Crop Protection 5:105–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/0261-2194(86)90089-X

Backus, E. A., M. S. Serrano, and C. M. Ranger. 2005. “Mechanisms of Hopperburn: An Overview of Insect Taxonomy, Behavior and Physiology.” Annual Review of Entomology 50:125–51. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ento.49.061802.123310

Bhatia, M. L. 1932. Report on Bionomics and Control of Empoasca devastans Dist. in the Punjab, Indian Central Cotton Committee, Bombay 1932 (cited in Ghani 1946).

Bindra, O. S., and M. S. Mahal. 1981. “Varietal Resistance in Eggplant to the Cotton Jassid.” Phytoparasitica 9:119–131. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03158454

CAPS. 2025. https://approvedmethods.ceris.purdue.edu/sheet/2112. Accessed 5 Sep 2025

DeLong, D. M. 1971. The Bionomics of Leafhoppers.” Annual Review of Entomology 16:179–210. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.16.010171.001143

Esquivel, I. 2025. “Cotton Pest Update: Stink Bugs and New Invasive Cotton Pest – Two-Spotted Cotton Leafhopper, Moving into Cotton.” Panhandle Ag e-News (blog) UF/IFAS Extension. https://nwdistrict.ifas.ufl.edu/phag/2025/07/11/cotton-pest-update-stink-bugs-and-new-invasive-cotton-pest-two-spotted-cotton-leafhopper-moving-into-cotton/

Ghani, M. A. 1946. “Studies on Cotton Jassid (Empoasca devastans) in the Punjab.” Cotton Research Laboratory. Proceedings of the Indian Academy of Science 24:260–263. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03049890

Jayasimha, G. T., R. R. Rachana, M. Manjuatha, and V. B. Rajkumar. 2012. “Biology and Seasonal Incidence of Leafhopper Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on Okra.” Pest Management in Horticultural Ecosystems 18:149–153.

Kamble, C., and T. V. Sathe. 2015. “Incidence and Host Plants for Amrasca biguttula (Ishida) from Kolhapur Region, India.” International Journal of Development Research 5:3658–3661.

Liburd, O. E., S. E. Halbert, N. Samuels, and A. J. Dreves. 2024. “Two-Spot Cotton Leafhopper, Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae, Empoascini; Amrasca biguttula (Ishida)—a Serious Pest of Cotton, Okra and Eggplant That Has Become Established in the Caribbean Basin.” Pest Alert. Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. https://ccmedia.fdacs.gov/content/download/117692/file/two-spot-cotton-leaf-hopper-pest-alert.pdf

Madar, H., and P. Katti. 2011. “Biology of Leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula on Sunflower.” International Journal of Plant Protection 4:370–373.

Michel, M., and J. Orozco. 2025. “First Record of an Asian Leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula (Ishida) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), in Central America.” Insecta Mundi 1147:1–8. https://doi.org/10.64338/im.1147.s5ybr

Nagrare, V. S., K. D. Bisane, A. J. Deshmukh, and S. Kranthi. 2012. “Studies on Life Cycle Parameters of Cotton Leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Ishida).” Entomon 37:93–99.

Saeed, R., M. Razaq, and I. C. W. Hardy. 2015. “The Importance of Alternative Host Plants as Reservoirs of the Cotton Leafhopper, Amrasca devastans, and Its Natural Enemies.” Journal of Pest Science 88:517–531. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10340-014-0638-7

Sagar, D., and R. A. Balikai. 2014. “Insecticide Resistance in Cotton Leafhopper Amrasca biguttula—A Review.” Biochemical and Cellular Archives 14:283–294.

Sandi, R. K., S. K. Sidhu, A. Sharma, N. Chawla, and M. Pathak. 2017. “Morphological and Biochemical Basis of Resistance in Okra to Cotton Jassid.” Phytoparasitica 45:381–394. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12600-017-0589-7

Santana-Nieves, A. G., I. Cabrera-Asencio, and E. Lasalle-Loperena. 2025. “Field Guide de Amrasca biguttula: Symptoms Caused by Adults and Nymphs of Amrasca biguttula on Different Hosts in Puerto Rico.” University of Puerto Rico Agricultural Experiment Station. https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11801/7468

Sharma., A., and R. Singh. 2002. “Oviposition Preference of Cotton Leafhopper in Relation to Leaf-Vein Morphology.” Journal of Applied Entomology 126:538–544. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1439-0418.2002.00697.x

Sharma, H. C. 1983. “Role of Some Chemical Components and Leaf Hairs in Varietal Resistance in Cotton to Jassid, Amrasca biguttula biguttula Ishida.” Journal of Entomological Research. 7:145–149.

Singh, A., J. Singh, K. Singh, and P. Rani. 2018. “Host Range and Biology of Amrasca biguttula biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae).” International Journal of Environment, Ecology, Family and Urban Studies 18:19–24. https://doi.org/10.24247/ijeefusapr20183

Subba Rao, B. R., B. Parshad, A. Ram, R. P. Singh, and M. L. Srivasta. 1968. “Distribution of Empoasca devastans and Its Egg Parasites in the Indian Union.” Entomologia Experimentalis et Applicata 11:250–254. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1570-7458.1968.tb02050.x

Xue, Y., Y. Wang, C. H. Dietrich, M. J. Fletcher, and D. Qin. 2017. “Review of Chinese Species of the Leafhopper Genus Amrasca Ghauri (Hemiptera, Cicadellidae, Typhlocybinae), with Description of a New Species, Species Checklist and Notes on the Identity of the Indian Cotton Leafhopper.” Zootaxa 4353:360–370. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4353.2.7

Mean (x̄) length ± SEM (mm)
Life stage	Madar and Katti (2011) sunflower	Jayasimha et al. (2012) okra
Egg	0.61 ± 0.05	Not measured
1st instar	0.68 ± 0.05	0.68–0.71
2nd instar	1.08 ± 0.02	1.08–1.12
3rd instar	1.30 ± 0.05	1.28–1.36
4th instar	1.64 ± 0.06	1.56–1.72
5th instar	2.06 ± 0.02	2.25–2.29
Adult male	2.10 ± 0.06	2.61–2.65(sexes not measured separately)
Adult female	2.74 ± 0.13	2.61–2.65(sexes not measured separately)
*Note: 2 mm ~ 1/16 in.