AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Jon Whatley is a 4th-generation farmer in South Texas. His great-grandfather moved the family down from Tennessee to Odem, just north of Corpus Christi, to grow corn, sorghum and cotton.

"The cotton crop was excellent. Actually, one of our better cotton crops I've had in the last five years," Jon said.

Next year, he might not be so lucky. A new invasive species, the cotton jassid, is now in the state. As its name suggests, it has a favorite food. "When you're dealing with Mother Nature, you get curveballs thrown at you all the time. This is just another one," Jon said.

Earlier this month, Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller announced that the cotton jassid, also known as the two-spotted leafhopper, was found in a cotton crop in Fort Bend County, south of Houston.

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