Explanation of Names
Cicadellidae Latreille 1825
Numbers
~3,000 described species in NA, ~23,400 worldwide (estimated global diversity >100,000 spp.) arranged into 19 subfamilies and almost 130 tribes
(1)(2)(3)Identification
Key to subfamilies and tribes in
(1), simplified version in
(4)
Wing nomenclature
Range
worldwide; in NA, some species migrate south in the fall and back north in the spring
selected checklists and faunal works:
(5)
Habitat
nearly every habitat with vascular plants, incl. 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 more host-specific than others
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 hatch within weeks; nymphs undergo five molts, reaching adult stage in several weeks or months
Remarks
Leafhoppers have sound-producing organs (tymbals) at the base of abdomen (song usually too faint for human ear)
Several species are serious crop pests; some transmit plant pathogens