Family Cicadellidae - Leafhoppers
Classification Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (Free-living Hemipterans)
Superfamily Cicadoidea
Family Cicadellidae (Leafhoppers)
Pronunciation sik-ah-DELL-ih-dee Synonyms and other taxonomic changes placed in the superfamily Membracoidea by some authors
classification of subfamilies at BugGuide follows Dietrich, 2005 ( PDF doc)
placement of genera in subfamilies by Brands, 2000 agrees with Dietrich in most instances Numbers about 3,000 described species in North America
about 20,000 described species worldwide, and many more undescribed Size body length usually less than 13 mm (range 2-30 mm) Identification small jumping insects with one or more rows of small spines on the hind tibiae; many are brightly colored with patterns of lines, patches, and/or spots of various shades.
Range cosmopolitan
in North America, some species migrate to southern states in the fall, and northen states and Canada in the spring Habitat nearly every habitat that supports vascular plant life, including deserts, grasslands, wetlands, and forests Season year-round in the south; spring through fall in the north; some species overwinter as adults beneath leaf litter or matted grasses Food nymphs and adults feed on sap of above-ground stems or leaves of plants; some species are limited to one host plant, whereas others feed on many species of plants Life Cycle varies according to species; in general, female inserts several eggs into living tissue of host plant; eggs either remain dormant for a period ranging from a month to over a year, or develop and hatch within a few weeks; nymphs undergo five moults, reaching adult stage in several weeks or months Remarks Leafhoppers coat their bodies and wings with a light dusting of water-repellent waxy material (brochosomes), and sometimes they don't distribute it evenly, leaving whitish streaks whose appearance is bilaterally asymmetric (i.e. not the same on both sides of the body).
[adapted from comment by Andy Hamilton here]
Leafhoppers have special sound-producing organs (tymbals) at the base of their abdomen; most leafhopper songs are too faint to be heard by humans without special amplifying equipment.
Several species are serious agricultural pests because of the damage they do to commercial crops. Some species also transmit plant pathogens such as viruses, mycoplasma-like organisms, or other microorganisms. See Also Spittlebugs (Cercopidae) are superficially similar but lack rows of spines on the hind tibiae Print References Dietrich, C.H. 2005. Keys to the families of Cicadomopha and subfamilies and tribes of Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Florida Entomologist 88 (4). pages 502-517. Internet References overview of family and links to FAQs, keys, guide to subfamilies, phylogeny, etc. (C.H. Dietrich, U. of Illinois)
links to images of pinned adults in more than 60 genera, plus subfamily classification, now outdated (Insects of Cedar Creek, Minnesota)
Leafhoppers of West Virginia with clickable thumbnails that lead to species pages, many with range data and life history information.
key to subfamilies and tribes; PDF doc plus comments on classification (C.H. Dietrich, 2005, Florida Center for Library Automation)
classification of genera in subfamilies [agrees in most instances with Dietrich's classification above] (S.J. Brands, Systema Naturae 2000, The Netherlands)
USDA checklist of leafhopper species (indicates subgenera, where applicable)
classification within superfamily Membracoidea (Tree of Life, tolweb.org) |
