Rice, a staple food for half of the world's population, faces various pest problems, of which hoppers complex, infests all crop stages posing significant threat to rice production in many parts of India. Field surveys conducted in low and mid hills of Himachal Pradesh identified nine hopper species across five localities, with Cofana spectra exhibiting highest relative abundance and emerging as the eudominant species in Zone I, and dominant in Zone II followed by Sogatella furcifera and Nephotettix nigropictus. The species diversity and evenness was more in Zone II, while Zone I boasted higher species richness. Peak species richness occurred during heading, with maximum diversity and evenness being observed at tillering stage. Population dynamics fluctuated across growth stages, with hopper count in 2022 being notably higher particularly in Shahpur. S. furcifera peaked with 8.00 hoppers/5 sweeps during tillering, N. nigropictus with 6.50 hoppers/5 sweeps during heading, and C. spectra with 11.31 hoppers/5 sweeps during the heading stage. Temperature strongly influenced the hoppers activity, with S. furcifera primarily associated with maximum temperature, and N. nigropictus and C. spectra with minimum temperature and rainfall. This study provides essential insights for effective pest management in rice cultivation under natural farming conditions in Himachal Pradesh.