First report of Amrasca biguttula in North America (USA)
The two-spot cotton leafhopper, Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) is first reported from the USA. It was first detected in late fall 2024 in Florida in 16 counties, mainly in Southern Florida on cotton (Gossypium spp.), eggplant (Solanum melongena), hollyhock (Alcea spp.), Hibiscus spp., common wireweed (Sida acuta), black nightshade (Solanum nigrum).
In July 2025 A. biguttula was detected in commercial and experimental cotton fields in Florida with plants showing mild chlorosis and in severe cases necrosis and defoliation. It was also reported in cotton fields in the states of Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina in July and August 2025. It was not detected in Virginia and North Carolina. The identity of the pest was confirmed by morphological analysis.
The situation of Amrasca biguttula in the USA can be described as: Present, not widely distributed.
Sources
Esquivel I, Bryant T, Malone S, Jacobson AL, Graham SH, Gimenez-Cremonez PS, Roberts P, Paula-Moreas S, Reisig D, Huseth A, Greene J (2025) First report of two-spot cotton leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula Ishida)(Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) on commercial cotton in the southeastern United States. Insects 16(9), 966. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects16090966