Passion Vine Hoppers

These little burrowing devils need VERY careful management!.

We first got them last year, and were oblivious until late in the season.

This year we identified the 'nymphs' (babies) early, but too much pyrethrum burns the other vegitation and kills the good bugs too.

They seem to breed in the jasmine and honeysuckle vines next to the garden. We'll have to do a serious cut-back this autumn.

Here is an excerpt from this website, which has good ID photos:

http://www.lifeunseen.com/index2_list_184.php

Passion Vine Hopper, Scolypopa australis. Hemiptera.

Lifecycle
The Passion Vine Hopper populations grows at the rate of one generation a year. They overwinter as an egg, with this stage lasting about six months. The eggs are inserted in plant stems, with relatively soft, dead or dying stems seem to be preferred. The nymph stage lasts about three months. They are greenish with a fluffy tail - visible around October. The adult stage lasts about 3-5 months - look for light brown small moths 8-10 mm around December.

What do the hoppers prefer? What happens if one disturbs them?

• temperate parts of North Island and Nelson area in the South Island.

• Host plants are flax, bracken, Fuchsia, Lantaria, Coprosma, berry fruits, beans, privet, kiwifruit, tutu, citrus, hydrangea, tecomaria, jasmine.

• If disturbed they lift and a cloud of them will be seen.

What do they do? What is the damage? 

They suck sap from succulent shoots and the result is distortion of fruit and leaves. Plants will get stunted, wilted and dieback overall. Because of the copious production of honeydew the likelihood of sooty mould is very high

.

They also play a role in the production of poisonous honey. They feed on tutu’s sap ~ a sap released from the plant and then collected by honeybees which is highly poisonous to humans.

What can you do about the pest?

• Heavy winter pruning of egg laying sites.

• Crop rotation to break the pest’s life cycle.

Spray them with Neem. It acts as a deterrent and anti feeder. Biodegrades within two weeks when exposed to sunlight. Repeated application.

Spray with Pyrethrum. Repeated application necessary since it does not kill the eggs. Poisonous to all insects. Pyrethrum is poisonous to all insects so do it in the evening when bees and beneficial insects are not active. Less burning of plants as well. It breaks down in 48 hours.

• Time of sowing, when pest is less.

• Row covers for seedlings

• Hand pick them

• Companion plants such as geranium and petunia, marjorams, coriander, chamomile and yarrow.