Eurybrachyidae
Encyclopedia
The Eurybrachyidae is a small family of planthopper
s found in Asia
, Australia
and Africa
; there are over 50 species described in some 20 genera. The frons of the head is characteristic in being broader than it is long. Their large forewings are often colourfully mottled as a means of camouflage
, hiding the broad and sometimes colourful abdomen.
In Australia, the genus Platybrachys associates with Eucalyptus
trees, while the genera Olonia and Dardus associate with Acacia
.
A female deposits her eggs together on bark or on a leaf underside. They are located in a fingerprint sized patch of white waxy material, covered by a white capsule to protect them from insect predators. Small parasitic wasp
s may however attack the eggs by piercing the capsule. The nymphs, being less agile as the adults, rely on mimicry, camouflage and honeydew
secretion (to solicit ant "bodyguards") to avoid predation.
The southeast Asian genus Ancyra
is well-known for having a pair of prolonged filaments at the tips of the forewings that arise near a pair of small glossy spots; this creates the impression of a pair of antennae, with corresponding "eyes" (a remarkable case of automimicry). The "false head" effect is further reinforced by the bugs' habit of walking backwards when it detects movement nearby, so as to misdirect predators to strike at its rear, rather than at its actual head.
Planthopper
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and from the fact that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However,...
s found in Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
and Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
; there are over 50 species described in some 20 genera. The frons of the head is characteristic in being broader than it is long. Their large forewings are often colourfully mottled as a means of camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
, hiding the broad and sometimes colourful abdomen.
In Australia, the genus Platybrachys associates with Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
trees, while the genera Olonia and Dardus associate with Acacia
Acacia
Acacia is a genus of shrubs and trees belonging to the subfamily Mimosoideae of the family Fabaceae, first described in Africa by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus in 1773. Many non-Australian species tend to be thorny, whereas the majority of Australian acacias are not...
.
A female deposits her eggs together on bark or on a leaf underside. They are located in a fingerprint sized patch of white waxy material, covered by a white capsule to protect them from insect predators. Small parasitic wasp
Parasitic wasp
The term parasitoid wasp refers to a large evolutionary grade of hymenopteran superfamilies, mainly in the Apocrita. They are primarily parasitoids of other animals, mostly other arthropods...
s may however attack the eggs by piercing the capsule. The nymphs, being less agile as the adults, rely on mimicry, camouflage and honeydew
Honeydew (secretion)
Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the gut's terminal opening. Honeydew is particularly common as a secretion in the Hemipteran...
secretion (to solicit ant "bodyguards") to avoid predation.
The southeast Asian genus Ancyra
Ancyra (genus)
Members of the southeast Asian planthopper genus Ancyra are well known for having a pair of prolonged filaments at the tips of the forewings that arise near a pair of small glossy spots; this creates the impression of a pair of antennae, with corresponding "eyes"...
is well-known for having a pair of prolonged filaments at the tips of the forewings that arise near a pair of small glossy spots; this creates the impression of a pair of antennae, with corresponding "eyes" (a remarkable case of automimicry). The "false head" effect is further reinforced by the bugs' habit of walking backwards when it detects movement nearby, so as to misdirect predators to strike at its rear, rather than at its actual head.
Selected genera
- Amychodes
- AncyraAncyra (genus)Members of the southeast Asian planthopper genus Ancyra are well known for having a pair of prolonged filaments at the tips of the forewings that arise near a pair of small glossy spots; this creates the impression of a pair of antennae, with corresponding "eyes"...
White (Asia) - Aspidioxys
- Aspidonitys
- Chalia
- Dardus (Australia)
- Druentia (Africa)
- Elthenus
- Euronotobrachys Kirkaldy (Australia)
- Eurybrachys (Indonesia - India)
- Fletcherobrachys Constant (Australia)
- Frutis (Borneo - China)
- Gastererion
- Gedrosia StålCarl StålCarl Stål was a Swedish entomologist specialising in Hemiptera.He was born at Karlberg Castle, Stockholm on 21 March 1833 and died at Frösundavik near Stockholm on 13 June 1878. He matriculated at Uppsala University in 1853, studying medicine and passing the medico-philosophical examination in 1857...
(Australia) - Gelastopsis Kirkaldy (Australia)
- Harmosma
- Hackerobrachys Constant (Australia)
- Kirkaldybrachys (Australia)
- Loxocephala (south China)
- Lyncilia StålCarl StålCarl Stål was a Swedish entomologist specialising in Hemiptera.He was born at Karlberg Castle, Stockholm on 21 March 1833 and died at Frösundavik near Stockholm on 13 June 1878. He matriculated at Uppsala University in 1853, studying medicine and passing the medico-philosophical examination in 1857...
- Macrobrachys
- Maeniana Metcalf (Australia)
- Maon Fennah (Australia)
- Mesonitys
- Messena (Indonesia)
- Metoponitys
- Navorillina (Australia)
- Neoplatybrachys
- Nesiana
- Nicidus (Borneo)
- Nirus Jacobi (Australia)
- Olonia StålCarl StålCarl Stål was a Swedish entomologist specialising in Hemiptera.He was born at Karlberg Castle, Stockholm on 21 March 1833 and died at Frösundavik near Stockholm on 13 June 1878. He matriculated at Uppsala University in 1853, studying medicine and passing the medico-philosophical examination in 1857...
(Australia) - Paropioxys (Africa)
- Platybrachys StålCarl StålCarl Stål was a Swedish entomologist specialising in Hemiptera.He was born at Karlberg Castle, Stockholm on 21 March 1833 and died at Frösundavik near Stockholm on 13 June 1878. He matriculated at Uppsala University in 1853, studying medicine and passing the medico-philosophical examination in 1857...
(Australia) - Purusha (Indonesia)
- Ricanocephalus Melichar
- Thessitus (Philippines - India)
- Yarrana (Africa)