Japanese Leafhopper

Our yard is full of leafhoppers! One of the most common species is Orientus ishidae, the Japanese Leafhopper (also known as the Oriental or Mosaic Leafhopper). They belong to a different subfamily (Deltocephalinae) than the sharpshooters (Cicadellinae), and vary in appearance, although there are a few features which most specimens have in common:

1. The orange-brown mosaic/marbled wings.
2. The three whitish spots at the bottom of the V-shaped scutellum.
3. The orange mark on the top of the head, between the eyes.
4. A green patch on each embolium (not always present).
5. Black wing tips.
6. The separation between the head and the pronotum (like a helmet or visor).
7. Black femora (2nd pair of legs with black on upper tibiae).

Again, some of the guidelines above are not universal, so I still suggest comparing your specimen with photos on, say, BugGuide. I found the following specimens all in one evening. #2-5 were resting on Yellow Bell leaves.

Specimen #1:

Specimen #2:

Specimen #3:

Specimen #4:

Specimen #5:

Specimen #6:

References:

http://bugguide.net/node/view/15644

http://www.americaninsects.net/h/orientus-ishidae.html