The World's Largest Leafhopper - Ledromorpha planirostris

Family Cicadellidae, Subfamily Ledrinae

This page contains pictures and information about The World's Largest Leafhoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
 
Ledromorpha planirostris, (Cicadellidae: Ledrinae: Ledrini), body length 28mm  
This is the world's largest leafhopper. It is a female and the abdomen is greatly elongated by the large ovipositor. It is believed that there is only the female (yes, no male) in this species. The leafhopper has the head largely expanded towards the front. It is brown in colour with varies patterns on body.
 
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On Feb 2009, We found this large leafhopper the first time in the bushland near Tingalpa Reservoir. It was on tree trunk of a large Scribble-bark gum tree. We thought we saw something interesting on the tree trunk but checked carefully it was just a pieces of small bark. We were about to go away but just to make sure by disturbed it with a stick. It held tight on the tree trunk and we thought it could be a spider underneath. Checked again very very carefully and found that it was a leafhopper. The leafhopper did not move a bit even it was disturbed.  

Reference and links:
1. Ledromorpha planirostris (Donovan) - Checklists of Australian and New Zealand, By MURRAY J. FLETCHER, 2009 
2. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 470.

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Last updated: February 15, 2009.