Macugonalia moesta

Macugonalia moesta · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Cicadellidae

No source yet on danger. We have no source yet on whether it bites, stings or damages anything.
Macugonalia moesta
Photo: iNaturalist user, CC0

Macugonalia moesta is a small blue insect about 6.7 mm long with distinctive blue and black markings on its back and head. It is found in parts of South America, including Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru and Suriname, and feeds on several garden and wild plants.

Source: Wikipedia

How to recognize it

The back shows two spots that look like a central blue band flanked by black, the thorax is black with a blue band ending near the eyes, and the head has a white band between the eyes covering the ocelli.

Source: Wikipedia

Size

Adults measure about 6.7 mm in length.

Source: Wikipedia

More photos

Questions people ask

What does Macugonalia moesta look like?

It is a tiny blue insect about 6.7 mm long, with a blue-black patterned back, a black thorax bearing a blue band near the eyes, and a white band between the eyes on the head.

Source: Wikipedia

What plants does Macugonalia moesta feed on?

It has been observed on Wedelia trilobata, Ayapana pallustrus, Heliotropium indicum, basil, Hyptis mutabilis and Aristolochia iquitensis.

Source: Wikipedia

Is Macugonalia moesta a disease vector?

It, along with Macugonalia umbrosa, has been noted as a possible vector of Xylella fastidiosa in Brazilian citrus orchards.

Source: Wikipedia

Same family (Cicadellidae)

Sources

  • Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macugonalia_moesta

Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia

Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-23.

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