Following last year’s detection in Missouri, growers, crop consultants and industry partners urged farmers to be on the lookout for the pest.
The small, pale yellow to greenish yellow insect feeds on corn and its wild relatives. It carries pathogens that cause corn stunt disease. This leads to deformed grain, loose kernels and short stalks. If populations are high, corn leafhoppers can also reduce yields due to feeding on the phloem.
Source : missouri.edu