Photo courtesy of J.M. Sage leafhopper damage increased brightness and yellowness but decreased greenness of the oregano herbage. If the pests eating your basil leaves are a species of leafhopper, you will see the channels they dig in before you see the small insects, each less than 1/4 inch long, with neutral tan coloring. Although leafhopper sightings are not uncommon on golf courses and lawns, severe injury usually occurs only with large leafhopper populations. All basil is heat- and sun-loving, regardless of variety. Fusarium disease ofbasil 5 6. Example of leafhopper damage on grape leaves: “light” (top left), “moderate” (top right), and “heavy” (bottom, center). Brasilian leafhopper damage to basil 4 4. Leafspots caused by Colletotrichum sp 5 5. Chilling injury ofharvested basil 7 Both nymphs and adults suck sap from the leaves, resulting in yellowing or bleaching. Originating from India, basil plant leaves may be found in a plethora of cuisines from Italian to Thai and can be used to flavor foods, vinegars, oils, teas, and even to scent soap. Grape leafhopper. Nymphs do not have wings and are generally lighter in color than adults. French. The edges of the leaves curl down ward, first turning lighter green, then yel- low, and finally brown and necrotic. They are small insects, typically less than 1/6-inch and are slightly wedge-shaped. Leafhoppers damage is often insignificant. Deal with leafhoppers by spraying the plant with horticultural oil, neem oil, or insecticidal soap. Phyllis G. Weintraub, in Insect Pests of Potato, 2013. Leafhoppers can be common insects of lawns. Leafhoppers overwinter as adults and are found in spring on basal grape leaves and weeds. Leafhopper. Basil (Ocimum basilicum) (Sweet Basil, Opal Basil, Thai Basil)Basil is a popular herb grown for its aromatic leaves which are used fresh or dried and used as a spice. Damage to basil by root-knotnematode 6 7. However, you may sometimes be surprised to find holes or other basil leaf damage in basil leaves . As feeding and injury continues, the turf begins to dry out and gradually turns from yellow to brown. A native of central Asia and northwest India, basil is a member of the mint family. The adult grape leafhopper is about 0.12 inch (3 mm) long and light to pale yellow with distinct dark brown and reddish markings. Chinese ro.se beetle damage to basil 2 2. Basil, Ocimum basilicum, is a short lived annual or perennial plant in the family Lamiaceae grown for its leaves which are used as a herb.The basil plant grows from a thick taproot and has silky green opposite (paired) oval leaves which grow to be 3–11 cm (1.2–4.3 in) long and 1–6 cm (0.4–2.4 in), branching out from the central stem. Figure 2. Leafhopper adults (1/4 inch long) are slender, wedge-shaped insects that fly or disperse rapidly when disturbed. Figure 1. Adult potato leafhopper Damage: Both the adults and the numphs feed on the underside of the potato leaves causing a stippling or speckling of the leaf surface called "hopper bum". Both adults and nymphs run sideways and are good jumpers. Early leafhopper damage often appears as a graying or silvering of infested turf areas. Damage is cumulative, resulting in a leaf that looks like the green color has been increasingly sand-blasted (Figure 2). Affected turfgrass lose vigor and may die as a result of extended presence of high populations. Slug damage to basil 3 3. Leafhoppers range in size up to about 10 mm long and have five nymphal instars; all stages feed on the aerial parts of the plant, nymphs and adults feeding on the same plants. Their color is variable but many of the more common turfgrass species are generally light colored or brown. Depending on species they may be green, brown or yellow in color and often have colorful markings. Leafhoppers. 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