Michigan apples advice from MSU

White apple leafhopper - Typhlocyba pomaria (McAtee)

Monitoring: Estimate number per leaf. More first generation will be on spur leaves. Most summer generation will be on mid-shoot leaves.

Thresholds: Will vary widely. Threshholds for trees with sparse canopy and heavy crop load is less than for trees with luxurious canopies. Generally, 1-3 per leaf will bleach around the midrib only, 8 per leaf will stipple the entire leaf and create problems for workers at harvest.

Leaf stippling damage


WALH nymphs are white to yellow, with early instars having red eyes.	Adults are about 3 mm long, and pale yellow-white in color.

For more information, see comparison to potato leafhopper .

Additional information

For more monitoring information and evaluation of available pesticides:
Michigan Fruit Management Guide
A Practical Guide to Scouting Apple Orchards – a DVD showing how to scout apple orchards.
MSU Diagnostic Services for assistance in pest identification.
MSU Fruit Crop Advisory Team Alert newsletters for current pest/crop conditions.

This information was developed from A Pocket Guide for IPM Scouting in Michigan Apples by David Epstein, Larry J. Gut and George W. Sundin. Purchase this in a pocket-sized guide for reference in the orchard from MSU Extension (publication E-2720).