When conditions in a rice field are good, young planthoppers develop into adults with stubby wings that barely reach their middles. Short-winged adults can’t fly but they’re prolific breeders. … Long-winged planthoppers lay fewer eggs but are built for travel, eventually flying away to invade new rice fields.

What does a planthopper eat?

plant hopper, any member of several insect families of the order Homoptera, easily recognized because of the hollow, enlarged head extension that may appear luminous (see lanternfly). Plant hoppers feed on plant juices and excrete honeydew, a sweet by-product of digestion.

Are planthoppers harmful?

Flatid planthoppers are usually not abundant enough to cause real damage to the health of ornamental plants. Their waxy secretions and the honeydew they excrete disfigure plants and make them sticky to touch. Sooty molds may grow in the honeydew, further disfiguring infested plants.