Glassy-winged sharpshooter, GWSS, feeding depends upon the salivary enzymes available to utilize a host plant. Insects which feed in a piercing-sucking manner that seek out the plants vascular tissues, the xylem and phloem, demonstrate a highly specialized type of feeding. This type of feeding is also very successful in enabling the transmission of many plant pathogens, such as Xylella, to the detriment of agricultural cropping systems. Analyses of the salivary components across the Hemiptera, and within the GWSS is providing new insights into the adaptability of leafhoppers to their host plants. Identification of important genes and proteins linked to feeding will enable researchers to develop more efficient management strategies to protect agricultural crops.