Nymphs are highly variable in coloration as well, but have extremely long hind legs and a narrow head.

NOTE: This species is somewhat of a slight taxonomic nightmare. The status of the subspecies and various synonyms under J. olitoria have fluctuated greatly over the past several decades. Nielson (1979) showed that all the different color forms, originally thought to represent different species, instead were all the same species with the same male genitalia, and he therefore synonymized some 'species' such as semifasciata under J. olitoria while labeling floridana a subspecies, along with J. o. olitoria and J. o. borealis. However, Nielson et al. 2014 recently reinstated floridana as a distinct species separate from olitoria, but it is not clear why this is the case and what characteristics were used to separate the two species; Nielson makes no note of why floridana was reinstated, and does not even include floridana in his revised key to species in the genus. C. Dietrich notes that males and females differ in coloration in the genus and there seems to be a great deal of variation in color pattern within one sex.

The matter is further complicated by the fact that floridana was originally thought to be restricted to Florida, but in the last decade BugGuide users have submitted photos of floridana-like individuals across the entire range of J. olitoria. For example, BugGuide contributors began finding floridana-like individuals in GA and SC (2005), VA (2006), AL, OK, and MD (2007), PA (2011), and IA and WI (2010); and since 2010 it has been recorded elsewhere. That is quite the range expansion for a hopper in such a short period of time, and while climate change could be causing floridana to move northwards, many of these individuals are likely just examples of the extreme variation that occurs in olitoria.

As a result, distinguishing members of this genus into subspecies is a futile effort when there is such an array of variation as well as intermediate forms. Recent DNA barcoding by J. Kitts further supports this approach. While previous barcoding in J. olitoria indicated that there were several potential cryptic subspecies, more advanced and next-generation sequencing machines have indicated that these barcoding differences are an artifact of the barcodes themselves, as more than one barcode sequence was being reported for the same individual. This is further evidence that J. olitoria is a single highly variable species, rather than a species composing of clusters of subspecies.

Therefore, until a proper revision of the genus is published, everything should be placed under J. olitoria, including floridana, and we can for now refer to J. olitoria as a species with a great deal of variation in both color and pattern. See here for many examples of the variation within J. olitoria in both adults and nymphs: BG.