|University of Kentucky Department of Entomology|
Mystery Bug Answers
Mystery Picture #40
These immature insects are Mealworm larvae. They have been used for fishing bait, and provide a good diet for pets such as newts or salamanders who make a real "meal" out of them. They can be an important pest in stored grain and flour.
Potato leafhoppers migrate north from the Gulf states to Kentucky every year. Upon arrival, they do considerable damage to field crops such as potatoes and alfalfa. Their feeding causes a condition called "hopperburn." These critters belong to the order Homoptera and the family Cicadellidae.
This page is maintained by Pat Dillon, Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky. Please send questions or suggestions to: email@example.com