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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) » Planthoppers (Fulgoromorpha) » Delphacoidea » Cixiid Planthoppers (Cixiidae) » Cixiinae » Pentastirini » Melanoliarus » placitus group (Melanoliarus placitus group) » Melanoliarus placitus

Species Melanoliarus placitus

Classification · Explanation of Names · Range · Remarks · See Also · Works Cited
Planthopper? - Melanoliarus placitus Oliarus sp? - Melanoliarus placitus hopper - Melanoliarus placitus Melanoliarus placitus? - Melanoliarus placitus Planthopper - Melanoliarus placitus Leafhopper sp? - Melanoliarus placitus Planthopper - Melanoliarus sp? - Melanoliarus placitus New Hope Bottomlands Hemipteran with mites 2022 4 - Melanoliarus placitus
Classification
Kingdom Animalia (Animals)
Phylum Arthropoda (Arthropods)
Subphylum Hexapoda (Hexapods)
Class Insecta (Insects)
Order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies)
Suborder Auchenorrhyncha (True Hoppers)
Infraorder Fulgoromorpha (Planthoppers)
Superfamily Delphacoidea
Family Cixiidae (Cixiid Planthoppers)
Subfamily Cixiinae
Tribe Pentastirini
Genus Melanoliarus
No Taxon (placitus group)
Species placitus (Melanoliarus placitus)
Explanation of Names
Melanoliarus placitus (Van Duzee 1912)
Range
s.ON & e. US (NY‒FL to KS‒MS)(1)
Remarks
The most commonly encountered pentastirine cixiid in the southeastern United States. Does not appear to get farther north than Massachusetts.
Highly variable in color. Note sexual dimorphism:
female

male

dark form (always female)

pale form
See Also
Very similar to the related and much rarer Melanoliarus montanus which has a smokier cast to the wings. Likely cannot truly be separated without dissection of a male.
Works Cited
1.A review of the planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) of the United States
Bartlett C. R., O'Brien L. B. & Wilson S. W. 2014. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 50: 1-287.
Contributed by tom murray on 30 June, 2016 - 9:32am
Additional contributions by Mike Quinn, v belov, antarctica
Last updated 12 December, 2023 - 11:01am

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