The Garden Flea Hoppers (Microtechnites bractatus) are tiny little insects that lay eggs in plants’ stems. After about 14 days, the eggs hatch, and little green nymphs emerge. As they grow, they turn black, and their wings expand. These small pests tend to damage soft stem plants such as this scarlet salvia (Salvia coccinea). Luckily, parasitoid wasps are effective at keeping these little bugs from causing too much damage. Other insects have been suspected of managing their populations, but there is not much research to determine their effectiveness.
Photo credit: Aymee Laurain
