Common Spittlebug
Machaerotida
Ledrinae
TheWorld'sLargestLeafhopper
BlackFlat-headLeafhopper
White-dotedBrownLeafhopper
Tartessinae
Yellow-headedLeafhopper
Brown Leafhopper1
Eurymelinae
Common Jassid
Punctata Gum-treehopper
Penthimiinae
Membracidae
Lantana Treehopper
Banksia Treehopper
Green Horned Treehopper
AcaciaHornedTreehopper
Tri-horned Treehopper
Green Face Gum Hopper - Platybrachys decemmacula
Family Eurybrachyidae
This page contains pictures and information about Green Face Gum Hoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Body length 20mm
- This planthopper is usually found on large tree trunk of gum trees, occasionally found on stem or leaves. It seems that they prefer smooth bark gum tree, although they are also found on other type of gum tree. They are common in Eucalyptus forests in Brisbane.
- Pictures were taken in Wishart Bushland and Karawatha Forest. They are common in summer. They can be found even in mid winter.
- The Planthopper is brown with white patterns on wings There are the eyes pattern on wing tips. Its head is pale green in colour.
- Male, body length 20mm
- Female
- From the white waxy look on its abdomen tip, we can tell the above planthopper is a matured female. Females lay eggs on tree trunks or leaves. The eggs are covered with a white waxy secretion produced by the ovipositing female.
- On tree trunk, the gum hopper usually facing upwards or downwards. The green face provides a good camouflage colour for those predators also sitting on stem or tree trunk.
- Nymph
- The nymph pictures were taken on the same gum tree trunk with the adults early summer. We believed they are the same species.
- Some more photo with different colour patterns. However, The eye-patterns on the wing edges are always the same.
Fake Head on Wings gives the Insect Second Chance
- This planthopper has the wing-tip eye patterns broken, looks like had been attacked by large predators. The eye patterns may have save its life, give the planthopper second chance to live.
- The planthopper has the eye-pattern markings on their tail -end wing-tips.
Those markings effectively making the insects appear to be something that is
facing the opposite direction. A confused predator, when striking at the
mimic, most likely comes up with nothing more than a piece of wing and the
insects get a chance to escape. The mimicry is known as Self
mimicry.
- Reference:
- 1. Platybrachys decemmacula - Fletcher, M.J. and Larivière, M.-C. (2001 and updates).
- 2. Species Platybrachys decemmacula (Walker, 1851) - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Heritage.
