1. Over the past decade, leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) have gained increasing attention as pests and vectors of phytoplasma diseases in Quebec. 2. Drawing on historical and modern reports spanning 1868 to 2025, we investigate whether leafhopper pest status has been changing in the province, focusing on two leafhopper groups: those that overwinter in Quebec (local species) and those that do not (migratory species). 3. Local species have been reported as pests since at least 1886 and have been considered of secondary significance. Migratory species, first mentioned in 1908, have been listed more frequently as economically important. 4. Empoasca fabae and Macrosteles quadrilineatus were associated with 10 crops, accounting for 11-88% of adult specimens in reported crop assemblages. On the other hand, local species, such as Erythroneura ssp. and Zonocyba (= Typhlocyba) pomaria, were reported mainly on grapevines and apples, respectively. 5. We found that the first field reports of leafhoppers from 1997 to 2025 are advancing in crops where migratory species are most frequently reported (e.g., potato and strawberry), whereas in crops where local species appear to predominate, no significant association was found (e.g., apple and grapevine). 6. Our findings indicate that recent changes in leafhopper pest status in Quebec are likely due to migratory species, a group that has historically been a significant component of the leafhopper assemblage on agricultural crops. In Quebec agriculture, what was once 'loin des yeux, loin du cur' (out of sight, out of mind) appears to be shifting toward 'pres des yeux, pres du cur' (now visible and therefore important).
Almeida santos, A., Perez-Lopez, E.
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