Green Leaf-hopper - Cicadella viridis

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Description

A large leaf hopper (6-8 mm) associated with marshland.  The pronotum is yellow and green and there are dark spots on the vertex ('nose'). The forewings of the female are bright turquoise green, and those of the male are dark blue-purple.

Identification difficulty
Habitat

Damp grassland and marshy areas, rough grassy areas.

When to see it

Adult: July-October.

UK Status

Common. (ref. UK Auchenorrhyncha checklist 2021 on British Bugs website)

VC55 Status

Common in Leicestershire and Rutland.

Further Information

https://www.britishbugs.org.uk/homoptera/Cicadellidae/Cicadella_viridis.html

  • AJ Cann
    Saddington
    19 August 2025
    male left, female right
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields, Aylestone
    21 July 2010
    Female
  • Kate Nightingale
    Charnwood Lodge
    11 August 2016
    male
  • David Gould
    Croft Hill, Leics
    17 July 2014
    female
  • Paul Ruddoch
    Melton Mowbray Country Park
    14 September 2014
  • David Nicholls
    Nature Alive, Coalville
    12 July 2012
    nymph

Leicestershire & Rutland Map

MAP KEY:

Yellow squares = NBN records (all known data)
Coloured circles = NatureSpot records: 2025+ | 2020-2024 | pre-2020

UK Map

Species data profile ?

Species profile

Species group:
Bugs
Kingdom:
Animalia
Order:
Hemiptera
Family:
Cicadellidae
Records on NatureSpot:
125
First record:
21/07/2006 (Nicholls, David)
Last record:
19/08/2025 (Cann, Alan)

Total records by month

% of records within its species group

10km squares with records

The latest images and records displayed below include those awaiting verification checks so we cannot guarantee that every identification is correct. Once accepted, the record displays a green tick.

In the Latest Records section, click on the header to sort A-Z, and again to sort Z-A. Use the header boxes to filter the list.

Latest images

Latest records

  • Paul Ruddoch
    Melton Mowbray Country Park
    20 July 2014
  • Graham Calow
    Stoney Stanton
    31 August 2016
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    16 July 2017
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    16 July 2017
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    16 July 2017
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    07 July 2011
    male
  • David Gould
    Croft Hill, Leics
    17 July 2014
    male
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    06 August 2017
  • David Gould
    The Spearwort Fields
    06 August 2017
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    07 July 2011
  • David Nicholls
    Lea Meadows
    07 July 2011
    nymph