Further spread of Amrasca biguttula in the USA
Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae, EPPO Alert List) was first detected in the USA in Florida in autumn 2024 and in July 2025 in cotton crops in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina (EPPO RS 2025/233). Intensive surveys were conducted in neighbouring states and resulted in further detections of the pest.
- Louisiana: in September 2025, the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry has confirmed the presence Amrasca biguttula in hibiscus plants at several retail locations across the state. It was then detected in cotton fields in Tensas County.
- North Carolina: in September 2025 it was detected on cotton in Robeson and Scotland Counties.
- Mississippi: in September 2025, detected in cotton fields, first in Hinds County and then in Noxubee, Neshoba, Oktibbeha and Forrest Counties.
- Tennessee: listed by Texas (see below) as a state where the pest is present. No other records found.
- Texas: the Texas Department of Agriculture has enacted emergency phytosanitary measures to stop the spread of Amrasca biguttula. The quarantine applies to shipments from Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, South Carolina, and North Carolina, where the pest has been detected. The quarantine also includes all counties within Texas where the pest has been reported. As of October 2025, quarantined Texas counties were as follows: Bexar, Brazoria, Brazos, Cameron, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Bend, Galveston, McLennan, Nueces and Victoria.
A recent article by Attia and Joseph (2026) documents the presence of A. biguttula in ornamental nurseries in Georgia causing damage on Hibiscus syriacus.
Finally, phylogenetic analysis (Ahmed et al., 2026) showed that introduction in the USA and China are recent and that South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Pakistan) is the putative native range.
Sources
Ahmed MZ, Yadav N, Rustgi S, Saripalli G, Esquivel IL, Bryant TB, Graham S, Jacobson AL, Gireesh M, Joseph SV, Del Pozo‐Valdivia A (2026) Global phylogeography of Amrasca biguttula (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) across eight countries reveals a single‐haplotype incursion into the United States beyond its putative native range. Journal of Applied Entomology (early view).
Attia S, Joseph SV (2026) Incidence of the Two-Spotted Cotton Leafhopper (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) infesting Hibiscus syriacus in ornamentals. Agronomy 16(1), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy16010032
Collins-Smith S (2025-09-23) Invasive pest confirmed in Mississippi cotton. https://extension.msstate.edu/news/feature-story/2025/invasive-pest-confirmed-mississippi-cotton
Reising D, Collins G (2025-09) Invasive cotton jassid arrives in North Carolina cotton. https://cotton.ces.ncsu.edu/2025/09/invasive-cotton-jassid-arrives-in-north-carolina-cotton/
Villagas J, Dawson K (2025-09-15) Cotton jassid detected in Louisiana: monitoring intensifies as pest spreads across the southeast. https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1757979892313
Dawson K, Villagas J (2025-10-08) Cotton Jassids detected in Tensas parish cotton fields https://www.lsuagcenter.com/articles/page1759931145787
Vyavhare S, Kerns D, Santiago-Gonzalez J, Porter P (2025-09) Update on the cotton jassid: a new pest of concern in Texas cotton. ENTO-PU-247. Texas Agrilife Extension
Amrasca biguttula https://www.texasinvasives.org/pest_database/detail.php?symbol=61.