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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) » Fulgoroidea » Flatid Planthoppers (Flatidae) » Flatinae » Nephesini » Metcalfa » Citrus Flatid Planthopper (Metcalfa pruinosa)

Species Metcalfa pruinosa - Citrus Flatid Planthopper

Classification · Other Common Names · Explanation of Names · Size · Identification · Range · Food · Remarks · Internet References · Works Cited

Citrus Flatid Planthopper - Metcalfa pruinosa

leaf hopper doresey hall - Metcalfa pruinosa

Id help needed - leafhopper - Metcalfa pruinosa

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 Fulgoroidea

Family Flatidae (Flatid Planthoppers)

Subfamily Flatinae

Tribe Nephesini

Genus Metcalfa

Species pruinosa (Citrus Flatid Planthopper)

Other Common Names

Floury Mothbug (Dr Hamilton's comment)

Explanation of Names

Metcalfa pruinosa (Say 1830)

pruinosa = 'frosty' (refers to the waxy coating)

Common name comes from the fact that it is often seen on Citrus, but also a wide range of other host plants.

Size

adults 5.5-8 mm

Identification

Grey to brown depending on how much floury coating is present. Two dark spots (and often more) near the base of the wing are characteristic.

Nymphs are mainly white with tail ends covered with waxy filaments. These typically form two "tails", but may cover the entire body and surrounding plant surfaces with fluff.

Range

e NA to MN-TX / Mex. / W. Indies - Map (1)(2); adventive across s. *Europe & Korea

*first recorded in ne. Italy in 1979, widely spread since(3)

Food

extremely polyphagous(1)

Remarks

Seldom causes economic damage except to plants weakened by other factors, e.g. frost(4)

Of considerable concern in orchards and vineyards in so. Europe(1)

Internet References

Genus page - Univ. Delaware(1)

Featured Creatures - Mead (2004)(4)

Works Cited

1.	Bartlett C.R. and contributors (2017-) Planthoppers of North America

2.	Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF)

3.	Alien terrestrial arthropods of Europe Roques A., Kenis M., Lees D., Lopez-Vaamonde C., Rabitsch W., Rasplus J.-Y., Roy D., eds. 2010. BioRisk 4 Special Issue; 2 vols., 1028 pp.

4.	EDIS -- Electronic Data Information Source of UF/IFAS Extension

Contributed by john and jane balaban on 23 September, 2004 - 10:04pm
Additional contributions by cotinis, Hannah Nendick-Mason, Beatriz Moisset, Mike Quinn, Graham M, ceiseman, v belov, KenW
Last updated 14 June, 2023 - 12:50pm

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