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Amrasca biguttula Amrasca biguttula (Ishida, 1913) · formerly or also: Amrasca biguttula biguttula, Empoasca devastans
The cotton jassid is a small, pale green leafhopper that sucks sap from the undersides of the leaves of cotton, okra, eggplant, potato, hibiscus and other plants. Its saliva causes 'hopperburn': leaf edges turn yellow, then red and brown, and leaves curl downward and dry up. A long-standing major pest in South and South-East Asia, it established in the Caribbean and the south-eastern United States from 2023, where it is called the two-spot cotton leafhopper.
The scientific name of cotton jassid is Amrasca biguttula Amrasca biguttula (Ishida, 1913), in the order Hemiptera, family Cicadellidae.
Older or alternative scientific names: Amrasca biguttula biguttula, Empoasca devastans.
Widespread in South and South-East Asia, East Asia and parts of the Middle East and Africa. It was reported in Puerto Rico in 2023, became established in Florida in 2024, and was confirmed in cotton in Alabama in 2025; movement of host plants from Florida is now regulated.
| Region | Status |
|---|---|
| South and South-East Asia | Widespread; major pest of cotton and okra |
| East Asia and the Middle East | Present |
| Africa | Present in several countries |
| Caribbean and United States | Recently introduced (from 2023); spreading |
Adults are about 2.5-3 mm long, wedge-shaped and pale yellowish-green, with a small black spot near the tip of each forewing and two black spots on the top of the head. Nymphs are pale green and wingless and characteristically walk sideways like crabs when disturbed. Eggs are inserted into the leaf veins on the underside of leaves. Adults jump and fly readily when plants are disturbed.
| Crop stage | What you see |
|---|---|
| Early infestation | Nymphs and adults on the undersides of leaves; leaves turn pale and yellow along the margins. |
| Hopperburn | Leaf edges turn yellow, then reddish and brown; leaves cup and curl downward, become brittle and dry from the edges inward. |
| Severe attack | Plants stunted, leaves shed, squares and bolls drop; okra leaves cup and fruit set falls. |
Females insert eggs into the veins on the undersides of leaves. Nymphs pass through five instars, feeding on leaf undersides, and become winged adults. Generations follow each other rapidly in warm weather, and adults move between crops and weeds.
| Stage | Duration | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Egg (inside leaf veins) | About 4-11 days | Hidden in tissue. |
| Nymph (5 instars) | About 7-21 days | Walks sideways. |
| Adult | About 2-7 weeks | Females lay about 15-30 or more eggs. |
Populations build up fastest in warm, humid weather, often during the monsoon and after rain; heavy rain reduces numbers.
Many overlapping generations in warm regions.
Warm, humid weather; smooth-leaved (less hairy) varieties; heavy nitrogen; continuous cropping of cotton, okra and eggplant; and loss of natural enemies after broad-spectrum sprays.
There is no single international threshold. South Asian programmes base action on nymphs per leaf or the grade of hopperburn on sampled plants, with values that differ between states and countries; check with your local extension service.
Thresholds are local. They depend on crop price, control cost, variety and natural-enemy activity, so use the figure your local extension service publishes where one exists.
Heavy infestations cut cotton and okra yields substantially and can defoliate young crops; leafhopper damage early in the season reduces plant growth and fruiting. In newly invaded regions it also damages hibiscus and other ornamentals and causes trade restrictions.
Control works best as a sequence: prevent, monitor, then act only when a threshold or a risk forecast says so, using the least disruptive option that works.
Neonicotinoid seed treatments and sprays have been used for years, and resistance has developed in parts of South Asia. What is registered differs by country and changes over time; follow the label and your local plant-protection authority.
| Scheme | Group | Mode of action | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| IRAC | 4A | Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor competitive modulators (neonicotinoids) | Resistance reported; toxic to pollinators. |
| IRAC | 4C | Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor competitive modulators (sulfoximines) | Rotate with other groups. |
| IRAC | 29 | Chordotonal organ modulators, undefined target site | Selective feeding inhibitor. |
Mainly mallow-family plants (cotton, okra, hibiscus) and solanaceous plants (eggplant, potato, tomato), plus sunflower, castor, beans and many other crops and weeds.
How to grow the crop well is the first line of defence. Laisha's free grow guides cover each crop from sowing to harvest:
Written by Laisha from the sources above, in its own words. This page is general reference, not a prescription: confirm identification locally and follow the label and your plant-protection authority.