Aerial 11F Practice Test

Leafhoppers damage plants primarily by sucking sap from the leaves, which can lead to a variety of harmful effects. When leafhoppers feed, they pierce the plant tissue with their specialized mouthparts and extract the sap, which contains essential nutrients necessary for the plant's health. This feeding action can cause leaves to become discolored, often turning yellow due to a lack of nutrients and water. Over time, extensive feeding can weaken the plant, stunt its growth, and reduce its overall vigor.

The other choices, while they describe other methods of plant damage, do not accurately represent the primary way that leafhoppers inflict harm. For instance, some insects do absorb nutrients from roots, or disrupt water flow in the stem, but leafhoppers are specifically known for their sap-sucking behavior, which leads to the leaf yellowing and other related symptoms. By focusing on the correct answer, one can better understand the unique impact leafhoppers have on plant health through sap extraction.