Planthopper

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Planthopper
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Arthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hemiptera Suborder: Fulgoromorpha Superfamily: Fulgoroidea
Families
many; see text

A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and from the fact that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, these planthoppers generally walk very slowly so as not to attract attention. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though surprisingly few are considered pests. The infraorder contains only a single superfamily, Fulgoroidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other members of the classical "Homoptera" by two features; the bifurcate ("Y"-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped third segment that bears a fine filamentous arista.

[edit] Classification

As mentioned under Auchenorrhyncha, some authors use the name Archaeorrhyncha as a replacement for the Fulgoromorpha.

The extant families of Fulgoroidea are:

• Acanaloniidae
• Achilidae
• Achilixiidae
• Cixiidae
• Delphacidae
• Derbidae
• Dictyopharidae
• Eurybrachyidae (= Eurybrachiidae)
• Flatidae
• Fulgoridae
• Gengidae
• Hypochthonellidae
• Issidae (includes Caliscelidae)
• Kinnaridae
• Lophopidae
• Meenoplidae
• Nogodinidae
• Ricaniidae
• Tettigometridae
• Tropiduchidae

Metcalfa pruinosa (Flatidae)

Fulgoridae

nymphal Dictyophara europaea

[edit] See also

Green planthopper