Family Meenoplidae - Meenoplid Planthoppers

Meenoplidae Fieber, 1872

single genus (Oeclidius) with 6 spp. in our area(1), all in the subfamily Prosotropinae and tribe Oeclidiini

in our area, w. NA(1)(2)

some nymphs found on floor of cave in AZ and TX(3)(BG data)

nymphal habits and host biology largely unknown. few host records (most of these on Asteraceae or Lamiaceae), with most species reported as monophagous (Wilson et al. 1994). Nymphs subterranean, with adults found on above-ground portions of plants, although adults have also been found on roots (Fennah 1980, Wilson et al. 1994).

Our fauna was placed in the family Kinnaridae until recently, following the reclassification of the group in Deng et al. (2024)(4). This family was also previously treated in the superfamily Fulgoroidea Deng et al., which erected the superfamily Meenoploidea. Kinnaridae is now restricted to the Eastern Palearctic.

similar to small Cixiidae in general appearance, and they share the row of spines on the second segment of the hind tarsomere and may have a median ocellus near the frontoclypeal suture. Unlike cixiids, females have a reduced ovipositor and abdominal tergites 7-9 are “chevron-shaped” wax-producing plates.(2)