Kauaʻi record · KCA-IA-00613
Grass Sharpshooter
Draeculacephala minerva
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About Grass Sharpshooter
Grass Sharpshooter (Draeculacephala minerva) is a member of Cicadellidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.
Grass Sharpshooter (Draeculacephala minerva) is documented from Kauaʻi. Leafhoppers are small plant-sap feeders with powerful jumping hind legs. Some species transmit plant pathogens. On Kauaʻi, observations are most useful when they record exact host plant, nymph/adult, feeding symptoms and pathogen context. Where island-specific host, prey, breeding-site, abundance, or seasonal information is not yet firmly documented, those details should remain tied to direct specimens and field observations rather than inferred from populations elsewhere.
Draeculacephala minerva is an introduced grass sharpshooter recorded on Kauaʻi, especially in damp grassy habitat. It is a xylem-feeding leafhopper and a known vector of Xylella fastidiosa in its native range.
Kauaʻi occurrence evidence: A 1992 Kapahi, Kauaʻi survey directly observed Draeculacephala minerva; EPPO documents its introduced established population in Hawaiʻi.
The cited occurrence evidence does not by itself establish current abundance or population trend on Kauaʻi.
Life cycle
Egg; nymphal instars; adult; no pupa.
Habitat
Grasses, shrubs, trees and crop vegetation associated with host plants.
Food and ecological role
Plant xylem or phloem sap depending on lineage.
Reproduction
Eggs are inserted into plant tissue; nymphs develop on host vegetation.
Movement
Adults jump and fly; nymphs move on plants.
Ecosystem role
Plant sap feeder and, for some species, pathogen vector.
Threats and impacts
Agricultural effects depend on host range, abundance and vector status.
Monitoring
Record exact host plant, nymph/adult, feeding symptoms and pathogen context.
Names and classification
- Scientific name
- Draeculacephala minerva
- Common names
- Grass Sharpshooter
- Family
- Cicadellidae
- Order
- Hemiptera
- Record type
- species
Kauaʻi occurrence and status
- Kauaʻi occurrence
- Present
- Origin
- Introduced
- Conservation status
- Not assessed
Process and seasonal context
- Seasonal description
- Grass Sharpshooter (Draeculacephala minerva) is a member of Cicadellidae in the order Hemiptera. Its recorded origin status on Kauaʻi is introduced.