The Buffalo Treehopper is a bright green, hump-backed insect with pointed horns and a body shape resembling a tiny bison when seen from above. It feeds on plant juices and the female's egg-laying cuts cause distinctive crescent-shaped scars in bark. Despite being the size of a sunflower seed, males produce elaborate vibrational signals through plants to court females.
Best time to see a Buffalo Treehopper
The best time to see a Buffalo Treehopper is July–August, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 497 research-grade iNaturalist observations.
Not certain it is a Buffalo Treehopper? What bug is this? walks through what to check first and the lookalikes that catch people out.
Recent Buffalo Treehopper sightings near you
Live, research-grade observations from iNaturalist. Allow location to center the map on you.
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