PhytoFindings: Cotton Jassid on Okra
It will be a while before we have okra or eggplants in our gardens again, but I want to alert you to an insect pest that we may encounter in the upcoming growing season.
In September 2025, LSU AgCenter entomologist Dr. James Villeagas notified us that the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry had found a new-to-Louisiana insect pest, the cotton jassid, on ornamental hibiscus plants at some nurseries. In early October, he alerted us that they had also been found in cotton fields in Tensas Parish.
A little over a week later, in mid-October, I was looking at my okra plants. It was late in the season, I hadn’t side-dressed them with fertilizer, and I knew that I had root knot nematodes in this area. So, I wasn’t surprised that they weren’t looking their best. It occurred to me, though, that my Orleans Parish colleague Dr. Joe Willis had mentioned that cotton jassids affect okra plants. I flipped over a leaf and, sure enough, found some suspicious light green critters. I sent some photos to Dr. Villegas, who agreed that they appeared to be cotton jassids.
The cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula) is also known as the two-spot cotton leafhopper. It has piercing-sucking mouthparts, meaning that it doesn’t make holes in plants but removes sap from them. Toxins in its saliva also contribute to the symptoms it causes, including yellowing, reddening, marginal browning, leaf distortion, and plant stunting. Like many piercing-sucking insects, cotton jassids feed from the undersides of leaves, and they’re small. Nymphs (juveniles) range from 0.6 to 2.2 mm long, or from about one-fortieth of an inch to a little under one-tenth of an inch, while adults can reach up to 3 mm long, or a little under one-eighth of an inch. So, you probably won’t see them unless you look for them.
Cotton is the most economically important crop that the cotton jassid damages, hence the name. However, it also affects other plants that are valuable to us. Cotton, okra, and the many Hibiscus species are all in the mallow family (Malvaceae). We value most cultivated hibiscus plants for their ornamental qualities, but people grow roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa, also called sorrel or Florida cranberry) so that they can use its calyxes (part of the flowers) for making tea and other products.
Eggplants are in the nightshade family with tomatoes, peppers, and potatoes, but the cotton jassid feeds on them, too. Leaf symptoms are not as distinct on eggplant as they are on cotton and okra, but yield loss has been reported.
We don’t yet know to what extent the cotton jassid will overwinter in Louisiana. Nevertheless, it is highly likely that numbers will be lower early in the growing season than later.
So, while both okra and eggplant are heat-tolerant vegetables that can be planted later than some other warm-season crops, I recommend planting them early within their recommended planting windows this year. Okra sometimes experiences damping off if planted too early, when soil is still cool, so don’t go crazy with early planting but consider planting in April in southeast Louisiana. Likewise, eggplant is more cold-sensitive than some other warm-season vegetables, but it can be transplanted in mid- to late-March, once no frosts are in the forecast.
At this time, we’re largely relying on information from other states about insecticide efficacy for cotton jassid. The most effective insecticides are not available in quantities appropriate for most home gardens.
Imidacloprid has some efficacy, and there are at least a couple of imidacloprid-containing home garden insecticide products – Bioadvanced Fruit, Citrus & Vegetable Insect Control and Monterey Fruit Tree & Vegetable Systemic Soil Drench – that are labeled for use around okra and eggplant, once per year. Both must be applied to the soil at the base of the plants, just after they’re transplanted or shortly after plants emerge from seeds. They are not labeled for spraying onto the leaves of the plants.
There are other imidacloprid products labeled for use on ornamental plants. Because these products are systemic and due to concerns about bees, they have restrictions related to the timing of application relative to flowering, and this affects when they can be used on ornamental hibiscus plants.
Another option for home gardeners is neem oil. There are a number of neem oil products on the market, and some have broadly worded labels that allow use on many types of vegetable plants and ornamentals. However, the spray must cover the undersides of the leaves, and repeated applications will likely be needed. Even if one of the imidacloprid products is used, I would suggest regularly checking okra plants for cotton jassid nymphs and adults, and spraying neem oil if you start seeing them.
Make sure any insecticide you’re considering using is labeled for the type of plants on which you plan to use it, and read and follow label instructions.
Since many other insects (most of which are not pests) occur in the garden, and a wide range of other factors can cause plant problems, let us know if you need help with troubleshooting.
Let me know if you have questions.
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Dr. Mary Helen Ferguson is an Extension Agent with the LSU AgCenter, with horticulture responsibilities in Washington and Tangipahoa Parishes. Contact Mary Helen at mhferguson@agcenter.lsu.edu, 985-277-1850 (Hammond), or 985-839-7855 (Franklinton).
