EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) — Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced new actions to fight the cotton jassid, also known as the two-spotted leafhopper (Amrasca biguttula), recently found on hibiscus plants in Texas. The infected plants were shipped from Costa Farms Nursery and its subsidiaries in Florida to stores across Texas, including in El Paso.
The infected plants were also found in College Station, McAllen, Weslaco, Harlingen, Victoria, Cedar Park, Waco, and Longview.
The invasive pest feeds on plants, including cotton, okra, eggplant, sunflower, weeds, and hibiscus. Infestations can cause leaf curling and yellowing. Miller warns of “major economic losses if left unchecked.”…