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Home » Guide » Arthropods (Arthropoda) » Hexapods (Hexapoda) » Insects (Insecta) » True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies (Hemiptera) » True Hoppers (Auchenorrhyncha) » Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers (Cicadomorpha) » Leafhoppers and Treehoppers (Membracoidea) » Typical Treehoppers (Membracidae)

Family Membracidae - Typical Treehoppers

Classification · Other Common Names · Pronunciation · Explanation of Names · Numbers · Size · Identification · Food · Life Cycle · Remarks · Works Cited
Treehopper - Telamona extrema Smilia sp., But Which? - Smilia camelus Stictopelta - Spissistilus festinus Treehopper - Micrutalis calva - female Treehopper, Heliria? - Heliria Publilia concava - male Atymna helena Treehopper - Telamona stephani
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 Cicadomorpha (Cicadas, Spittlebugs, Leafhoppers, and Treehoppers)
Superfamily Membracoidea (Leafhoppers and Treehoppers)
Family Membracidae (Typical Treehoppers)
Other Common Names
Thorn Bugs
Pronunciation
mem-BRAY-ci-dee
Explanation of Names
Membracidae Rafinesque 1815
from Membracis Fabricius 1775, the type genus
Numbers
~270 spp. in ~60 genera in our area(1), ~3,500 spp. in ~430 genera worldwide, arranged in 9 subfamilies and dozens of tribes(2)(3)
checklists of local faunas:(4)(5)(6)(7) ‒more sources listed in (8)
Overview of our fauna* ‒taxa not yet in the guide; questionable records omitted
Family MEMBRACIDAE
Subfamily CENTROTINAE
Tribe Centrodontini Centrodontus · Multareis · Multareoides
Tribe Centrotini Centrotus
Tribe Gargarini Gargara
Tribe Platycentrini Platycentrus · Tylocentrus
Subfamily DARNINAE
Tribe Darnini *Darnis · Hebetica · Stictopelta
Subfamily STEGASPIDINAE
Tribe Microcentrini Microcentrus · *Tumecauda
Subfamily MEMBRACINAE
Tribe Aconophorini Aconophora
Tribe Hoplophorionini Platycotis · Umbonia
Tribe Hypsoprorini Hypsoprora · Philya · *Scalmophorus
Tribe Membracini Campylenchia · Enchenopa · Leioscyta · *Membracis · Tylopelta
Subfamily SMILIINAE
Not placed to tribe: Antianthe · Tropidarnis
Tribe Acutalini Acutalis
Tribe Amastrini Amastris · Bajulata · Idioderma · Vanduzea
Tribe Ceresini Anisostylus · *Antonae · Hadrophallus · *Paraceresa · Parantonae · Spissistilus · Stictocephala · Stictolobus · Tortistilus · Trichaetipyga · Vestistilus
Tribe Micrutalini Micrutalis
Tribe Polyglyptini *Aphetea · Bryantopsis · Entylia · Polyglypta · Publilia
Tribe Smiliini *Ashmeadea · Atymna · Cyrtolobus · Grandolobus · Ophiderma · Smilia · Xantholobus
Tribe Telamonini Archasia · Carynota · Glossonotus · Heliria · Palonica · Telamona · Telamonanthe · Telonaca · Thelia
Not yet in the guide:
Antonae Stål 1867 [1 sp., WA‒CA]
Aphetea Fowler 1895 [1 sp., CA]
Ashmeadea Goding 1892 [1 sp., AZ]
Darnis Fabricius 1803 [1 questionable record, CA]
Membracis Fabricius 1775 [2 spp., CA FL]
Scalmophorus Fowler 1894 [1 sp., AZ]
Tumecauda Goding 1930 [1 sp., AZ]
questionable records: Bolbonota Amyot & Serville 1843 [1 sp., ?FL], Notocera Amyot & Serville 1843 [1 sp., ?CO], Trachytalis Fowler 1895 [1 sp., ?CA])
Size
2‒20 mm (most <12 mm)(9)
Identification
pronotum extends back over abdomen and often covers head; gestalt may be humpbacked, thorn-like, with horns, keels &c.

interactive key to genera(1)
visual guide [needs update]
illustrated checklist of FL spp. in (5)
annotated checklist of QC spp.(10)
Key to tribes
Membracidae of Texas (Quinn 2017)
Food
Most spp. are host-specific and feed on trees and shrubs, some on herbaceous plants
Life Cycle
Eggs overwinter and hatch in the spring. Nymphs drop to the ground. Some spp. exhibit presocial behavior ‒adults often stay near nymphs, tending them. Many have mutualistic relationships with ants
Remarks
Only a few are considered pests; most of the damage is caused by egg-laying
Works Cited
1.Richness of the Nearctic treehopper fauna (Hemiptera: Aetalionidae and Membracidae)
Deitz L.L., Wallace M.S. 2012. Zootaxa 3423: 1–26.
2.Deitz L.L., Wallace M.S. (team leaders), et al. (2010‒) Treehoppers: Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, and Membracidae (Hemiptera)
3.Dietrich C.H. (2006‒) Treehoppers
4.Checklist and host plants of the treehoppers of North Carolina
Dietrich C.H., Rothschild M.J., Deitz L.L. 1999. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 101: 242‒262.
5.Rothschild M.J. (2012) A checklist of the Membracidae of Florida
6.Occurrence of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae:Smiliinae) on oaks in Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, 2004–2006
Wallace M.S. 2008. J. Insect Sci. 8(59): 1‒16.
7.Treehopper diversity (Hemiptera: Membracidae) of Little Orleans, Allegany Co., Maryland
Bartlett C.R., Deitz L.L., Rothschild M.J., Wallace M.S. 2008. Proc. Ent. Soc. Wash. 101: 130‒143.
8.Checklist of treehoppers of Panama (Hem.: Membracidae) with a list of checklists and keys to the Nearctic and Neotropical fauna
Flynn D.J. 2012. Zootaxa 3405: 35–63.
9.American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico
Ross H. Arnett. 2000. CRC Press.
10.Pilon et al. (1988‒2015) Entomofaune du Québec
Contributed by Troy Bartlett on 16 February, 2004 - 12:32pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Stephen_WV, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, v belov, KenW, antarctica
Last updated 26 August, 2024 - 7:28pm

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