| | | What Is It? | Glassy-winged Sharpshooter Homalodisca vitripennis | | The Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter is a serious threat to California's agriculture. The Sharpshooter is native to the southeastern United States, but was probably introduced to California around 1990. If you wish to see a map of California that shows infested and partially infested counties then you can go to CDFA's Pierce's Disease Control Program webpage. The threat of the Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter and Pierce's Disease is widely known in the state's grape industry. The state's 450,000-plus acres of wine grapes are at risk of potential infection by Pierce's Disease. More than 330,000 acres of raisin and table grapevines are also in jeopardy. The GWSS is an effective vector for Pierce's Disease because it is more mobile than other leafhoppers that can transmit the bacteria. The insect uses its needle-like mouth to tap into the water-conducting tissues of a plant. In addition to its mobility and its varied food sources, it is dangerous because of its ability to move a large quantity of plant juices (equivalent to a 150 lb. human drinking 4,300 gallons of water a day) through its system in a day. | | |
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