Leafhoppers’ pest status in Québec from 1868 to 2025
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Over the past decade, leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) have gained increasing attention as pests and vectors of phytoplasma diseases in Québec.
Drawing on historical and modern reports spanning 1868 to 2025, we investigate whether leafhopper pest status has been changing in the province, focusing on two leafhopper groups: those that overwinter in Québec (local species) and those that do not (migratory species).
Local species have been reported as pests since at least 1886 and have been considered of secondary significance. Migratory species, first mentioned in 1908, have been listed more frequently as economically important.
Empoasca fabae and Macrosteles quadrilineatus were associated with 10 crops, accounting for 11–88% of adult specimens in reported crop assemblages. On the other hand, local species, such as Erythroneura ssp. and Zonocyba (= Typhlocyba ) pomaria , were reported mainly on grapevines and apples, respectively.
We found that the first field reports of leafhoppers from 1997 to 2025 are advancing in crops where migratory species are most frequently reported (e.g., potato and strawberry), whereas in crops where local species appear to predominate, no significant association was found (e.g., apple and grapevine).
Our findings indicate that recent changes in leafhopper pest status in Québec are likely due to migratory species, a group that has historically been a significant component of the leafhopper assemblage on agricultural crops. In Québec agriculture, what was once ‘ loin des yeux, loin du cœur ’ (out of sight, out of mind) appears to be shifting toward ‘ près des yeux, près du cœur ’ (now visible and therefore important).
GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT AND HIGHLIGHTS
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The pest status of leafhoppers has changed in Québec over recent decades, but whether local or migratory species are driving this shift remains unknown.
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Local species have been recognized as pests since at least 1886, and migratory species since 1908. However, migratory species were more frequently reported in historical documents.
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Migratory species ( Empoasca fabae and Macrosteles quadrilineatus ) appear to be driving the recent status change, as evidenced by earlier first reports and presence across multiple crops.
