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Hemiptera
Cicadas

Leafhoppers,
Treehoppers and Planthoppers

Aphrophoridae
Common Spittlebug
Black Spittlebug

Machaerotida

Cicadellidae - Leafhoppers
Ledrinae
TheWorld'sLargestLeafhopper
BlackFlat-headLeafhopper
White-dotedBrownLeafhopper
Mottled White Leafhopper
Black Leafhopper
Cicadellinae
Yellow and Black Leafhopper
Tartessinae
Yellow-headedLeafhopper
Brown Leafhopper1
Brown Leafhopper 2
Eurymelinae
Common Jassid
Two-lined Gum-treehopper Punctata Gum-treehopper
Pulchra Gum-treehopper
Mottled-brown Treehopper
Yellow-brown Treehopper
She-oak Treehopper
Paperbark Treehopper
Penthimiinae
Penthimiin Leafhopper

Membracidae
Lantana Treehopper
Banksia Treehopper
Green Horned Treehopper
AcaciaHornedTreehopper
Tri-horned Treehopper

Cixiidae
Cixiid Planthopper 1
Cixiid Planthopper 2
Cixiid Planthopper 3

Meenoplidae

Fulgoridae- Lantern Flies
Green and Black Lantern Fly 1
Green and Black Lantern Fly 2
Long0nosed Lantern fly

Achilidae

Derbidae

Issidae
Issid Planthopper

Flatidae
Mango Planthopper
Pink Planthopper
Green Mottled Planthopper

Eurybrachyidae
Eurybrachyid Biology
Green Red Wattle Hopper
Green Face Gum Hopper
Eye-patterned Gum Hopper 1
Eye-patterned Gum Hopper 2
White-marked Gum Hopper 1
White-marked Gum Hopper 2
Ripple-marked Gum Hopper
Spider-face WattleHopper
Green Face WattleHopper
Dardus Wattle Hopper
Unknown Eurybrachyid

Lophopidae
Palm Planthopper

Ricaniidae
Passion-vine Hopper
Brown Ricaniid Planthopper

Other Hoppers

Wallpaper

Leafhoppers, Treehopper and Planthoppers - Suborder Auchenorrhyncha

Order Hemiptera

This page contains pictures and information about Leafhoppers, Treehoppers and Planthoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Planthopper nymph

All leafhoppers, treehoppers and planthoppers are sapsuckers which feed on the leaves, twigs, branches and/or trunk of the host tree.

Leafhoppers, Treehoppers and Planthoppers have the move aerodynamic-shaped body in the insect world. This is shaped by evolution. All of them are strong jumpers. When jump, they have the highest speed in the insect world. Most ambush predators do not target at them because of their high speed of escape. Some other insects even mimic treehoppers to cheat predators.

Classification :

Superfamily CICADOIDEA - Hairy Cicadas and Cicadas

Cicadas are also in Suborder Auchenorrhyncha but we discussed about them in another web page. Cicadas are well known because their 'song' is the back ground noise here in summer. Their empty shells often seen on tree trunks and fences. The young nymphs live underground suck the roots of trees. They may live underground for years, come up from soil in summer, have the final moulting and leave those empty shells. This is the male who sing the song to attract female. Each species have different 'songs'.

Superfamily CERCOPOIDEA - Froghoppers and Spittlebugs

Family Aphrophoridae - Spittlebugs

Their nymphs produce 'spittle' clinging to the stems of shrubs or small trees to reduce the risk of dehydration or to deter parasites. Those spittle is sometimes known as cuckoo-spit. When carefully removed those 'spittle', we saw an insect nymph hiding inside.

Superfamily MEMBRACOIDEA (CICADELLOIDEA) - Leafhoppers and Treehoppers

Most leafhopper species live in colonies of mixed stages while few other species are solitary. Several species are attended by ants which collect the sugary secretions (honeydew) produced by the leafhoppers. An airborne fungal disease – sooty mould – is sometimes associated with the honeydew.

Family Cicadllidae - Leafhoppers and Treehoppers

They are small, plants feeding insects ranging in colour from green, through yellow-green to brown. They can be found on tree trunks, stems and leaves. They feed by sucking the sap of plants. All of them jump, so their name hoppers. Some of their adults are active flyer.

Family Membracidae - Horned Treehoppers

Members in this family have the enlarged pronotum extending back over the abdomen between wings, which gives them the bizarre looking body shape. Many species also have the pronotum extending forward so that they are horned. Some may mimic thorns on their host plant.

Superfamily Fulgoroidea - Planthoppers

A planthopper is an insect in the group of Fulgoromorpha within the bug order Hemiptera. The group contains only a single superfamily Fulgoroidea.

The Superfamily Fulgoroidea contains large number of insects of very diverse forms. All of them are strong jumpers and commonly called Planthoppers. Their antennae situated beneath eyes. There is a unique character in this group: for all species, the base segment of the antenna is much thicker than the rest of the antenna. Wax plates common in females for producing wax to cover eggs. The nymphs usually have two long tails. Nymphs and adults are plant-feeders, feed by sucking the sap of the host tree.

Family Cixiidae- Cixiid Planthoppers
Cixiid Planthopper generally are brown or black with wings that are transparent with brown veins. Their nymphs are primarily root-feeders, some found in ants nest.

Family Fulgoridae - Lantern flies

Family Flatidae - Flatid Planthoppers

Members in this family usually have the triangular and broad fore wings. They look like green triangular plant spines when they rest on the tree trunk. Their broad triangular forewings held roof-like over their body make them usually easily recognized.

Family Eurybrachyidae - Eurybrachyid Planthoppers

Members in this family are medium in size with broad body. They have mottled forewings and coloured abdomen, usually brown, red, yellow or orange in colour.

Family Lophopidae - Lophopid Planthoppers

The adults in this family have elongated transparent fore wings. This is a small hopper family. All of them jump, so is their common name planthoppers.

Family Ricaniidae -Ricaniid Planthoppers

This family contains the Passionvine Hopper. They are common in Brisbane bush. When disturbed, they jump away with a loud 'click' sound and disappeared in the air.

Reference and links:
1. Insects of Australia, CSIRO, Division of Entomology, Melbourne University Press, 2nd Edition 1991, pp 474.
2. Insects of Australia and New Zealand - R. J. Tillyard, Angus & Robertson, Ltd, Sydney, 1926, p165.
3. Checklists of Australian and New Zealand - Fletcher, M.J. and Larivière, M.-C. (2001 and updates).
4. Identification Keys and Checklists for the leafhoppers, planthoppers and their relatives occurring in Australia and New Zealand (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Fletcher, M.J. and Larivière, M.-C. (2001 and updates).
5. Auchenorrhyncha keys - Fletcher, M.J. (2009 and updates). Identification keys and checklists for the leafhoppers, planthoppers and their relatives occurring in Australia and neighbouring areas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

[ Aphrophoridae ] [ Cicadellidae ] [ Membracidae ] [ Cixiidae ] [ Fulgoridae ] [ Issidae ] [ Flatidae ] [ Eurybrachyidae ] [ Lophopidae ] [ Ricaniidae ] [ Other Hoppers and Unidentified Hoppers ]