Passionvine hopper

Nymphs build from late spring, with adults peaking late summer and autumn, January to April.

Passionvine hoppers are sap-sucking bugs that feed on a wide range of plants and pour out honeydew that turns leaves black with sooty mould. The nymphs carry a tuft of white fluff like a tiny peacock tail, and they are easiest to knock back before they grow wings.

How to identify

• Wingless green-brown nymphs with a raised fan of white fluff on the tail
• Brown lacy-winged adults about 6mm long that hop or fly up when disturbed
• Adults often lined up in a queue along stems
• Sticky honeydew and spreading black sooty mould on leaves below
• Wilting or stressed soft growth on heavily fed plants

How to prevent

• Clear weedy shelter like blackberry, gorse and tradescantia near the garden, key host plants
• Keep plants well watered and unstressed so they shrug off feeding
• Encourage spiders and other predators by avoiding broad-spectrum sprays
• Inspect vines and shrubs from late spring to catch nymphs while small

How to control organically

• Target the nymph stage from November to March, when they are easiest to control
• Spray neem oil or a soap spray over the nymphs, covering stems and undersides
• Repeat sprays every 7 to 10 days while nymphs are present
• Hose down foliage to dislodge nymphs and wash off honeydew
• Wash sooty mould off leaves once the hoppers are under control