The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) has just issued a “pest exclusion advisory” for the “cotton jassid (Amrasca biguttula)”. The cotton jassid is a plant-sucking leafhopper that was recently discovered in the Southeastern US, specifically Florida back in January.  From there, it has quickly spread to several states in the southeast. It feeds on juices in the plant leaves and creates a condition known as “hopperburn”, which stunts the plan and is characterized by yellowing, browning, curling and eventual loss of the leaves and abortion of the flowers/fruits. It is known to be pest of several plant families including cotton, grapevine, tomato, okra, eggplant, sunflower and hibiscus. It is not a strong flier and is most likely spread by wind or through movement of infected plants, particularly hibiscus. See the full advisory here.