Bug Wiki
Sticker of Lateral-lined sharpshooter
Bug card No. 2547 of 4,939

Lateral-lined sharpshooter

Cuerna costalis
Eats: PlantsTrue bugs and cicadasGardens and meadows6 legs

The lateral-lined sharpshooter is a small leafhopper dressed in black and red stripes. A bright white line runs from its eye all along its side. It hops from plant to plant like a tiny jumping arrow.

Lives in
The eastern half of the United States
Top speed
about 1 km/h (0.62 mph)
On foot, estimate
Can it hurt you?
Harmless
Harmless. It is a tiny plant sucker and does not hurt people.
What does it eat?
Like other leafhoppers, it sucks sap from plants with its pointy mouth.
For real!Photo of Lateral-lined sharpshooter
Picture by JeffreyGammon. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

How fast is it?

cool stuff

Fun facts

1

Its front wings have long stripes that run from front to back.

2

The very tip of its body has a little red spot.

3

It is the only one of its close cousins that has red on its legs.

you asked

Most asked questions about Lateral-lined sharpshooter

?What does the lateral-lined sharpshooter look like?

It is black and red with long stripes, a white line along its side and a red spot at the tail end.

?Is a sharpshooter dangerous?

No. It is a small leafhopper that only drinks plant sap.

For bug experts

Scientific name
Cuerna costalis
Group
True bugs and cicadas
Family
Cicadellidae
Classification
Insecta > Hemiptera > Cicadellidae
Lives on
North America

Where the facts come from

  1. Cuerna costalis (Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0): what it looks like, where it lives, what it eats, sizes and fun facts, retold in simple words.
  2. Picture by JeffreyGammon. CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons. The sticker of this bug is drawn from this picture.

If we got something wrong, sorry, we are bug fans, not a science journal. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.

Bug Wiki honey jar For grown-ups: Bug Wiki is free, with no ads and no tracking. A small tip helps keep it online.Leave a tip

More from the same group: True bugs and cicadas

Also at home here: Gardens and meadows

Honey jarfor grown-ups