Damage and nuisance

The female makes a slightly curved and long incision of about 5 to 7 mm in the direction of the length of the branch to deposit her eggs, an incision which hinders the circulation of the sap, ending in late summer at the formation of a "traumatic red patch" of the posterior part of the branch (reddening of the leaves) .

The formation of a black scar bead (figure 1) due to the reaction of the cambium to the oviposition stings results in the "redness" of the end of the branch, because of the disruption of the phloem flow from the leaves to the vine (figures 2 to 7). The leaves can also curl around the edges which, on red grape varieties, recall symptoms of flavescence dorée. 

The nutritive bites of the larvae do not damage the vines, they feed mainly on low plants (see the biological cycle ).

The damage is not serious on adult vines but is quite spectacular in the fall (photos). Note that when young twigs are affected, they can dry out completely, especially on young vines.

All the grape varieties do not seem to react in the same way to egg-laying bites, where the reddening is more or less marked. Apart from the vine, many plant species can be parasitized by the hartebeest leafhopper, fruit trees such as apple or plum , walnut and hazel, as well as ornamental shrubs or conifers (poplar, lime, dogwood, oak, lilac, etc.) and market garden plants.