Not a great picture, but I'm thinking Glassy Winged Sharpshooter.

They kept flying off and I couldn't catch one :) but I believe you are correct. Just looked a picture up & they look just like that but I've never seen one of those around here before. So now to see if they are going to eat my corn. Thank you.

The Glassy Winged Sharpshooter is native to the southeastern USA so someone living in that area (Alabama) probably would be familiar with it while those outsiide that are would not and that is why listing a general location (such as Alabama) is of more value then the Plant Hardiness Zone ever will be.

This particular insect appears to have originated somewhere in the south but has become an important pest in many states. I associate it with citrus (and grape) producing states, especially California and Texas and Florida.

Criss, please know that my ID is based on that one glimpse of what appears to typical GWSS markings. It is certainly a leafhopper /sharpshooter of some sort. And just because this is a major agricultural pest in some parts of the country, it doesn't mean that it behaves that way everywhere.

You might want to call your local A and M extension office for some direction. Tell them you have a tentative ID of glassy winged sharp shooter on your corn. Take a walk throughout the rest of the garden, too. You don't have any citrus, do you?

These insects do their damage by inserting tiny needle like mouthparts into the vascular system and sucking up the plant products into their own bodies. They can weaken plants as well as spread certain diseases. But the damage is less obvious than that left by chewing insects.

This particular insect appears to have originated somewhere in the south but has become an important pest in many states. I associate it with citrus (and grape) producing states, especially California and Texas and Florida.

Criss, please know that my ID is based on that one glimpse of what appears to typical GWSS markings. It is certainly a leafhopper /sharpshooter of some sort. And just because this is a major agricultural pest in some parts of the country, it doesn't mean that it behaves that way everywhere.

You might want to call your local A and M extension office for some direction. Tell them you have a tentative ID of glassy winged sharp shooter on your corn. Take a walk throughout the rest of the garden, too. You don't have any citrus, do you?

These insects do their damage by inserting tiny needle like mouthparts into the vascular system and sucking up the plant products into their own bodies. They can weaken plants as well as spread certain diseases. But the damage is less obvious than that left by chewing insects.

Thank you both of you for the good info & I'm in SE Texas. I do not have any citrus plants. One would think I'd have seen these before seeing as how I've been gardening here for twenty years. Although it may be because I'm doing raised beds in front of my house for the first time, whereas before it was an acre in the pasture & I didn't pay as close attention to It. There's only about twenty bugs and I'm only two weeks away from harvest. Everything I've read so far seems to say they won't destroy the plant so I'm going to leave them be and keep an eye on them.