Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers and allies

LEAFHOPPERS and allies (HEMIPTERA: AUCHENORRHYNCHA)

This second sub-order of bugs covers the leafhoppers and allies.  There are 8 pages - if you want to look through them all then start here and follow the "Next page" links at the bottom of each page to move through.  Alternatively you can use the hyperlinks (orange text) below to jump straight to the families/subfamilies you're interested in.  As with the typical bugs (Heteroptera) I have included mention of all the species that I have personally recorded here and at the meadows in previous years, whether I recorded them in 2019-20 or not.

As before, I always welcome feedback, especially if any errors have crept in.  Please get in touch if you think anything needs looking at again, or if you can clear up any of the unanswered questions.

• Cercopidae (Red-and-black Froghopper)

Red-and-black Froghopper Cercopis vulnerata

• Aphrophoridae (other Froghoppers)

Alder Spittlebug Aphrophora alni

• Cicadellidae (Leafhoppers):

• subfamilies Ledrinae and Cicadellinae
  

Eared Leafhopper Ledra aurita

• subfamily Idiocerinae
  

Tremulicerus tremulae

• subfamilies Iassinae, Macropsinae and Aphrodinae
  

male Oncopsis flavicollis

• subfamily Deltocephalinae:
  

• part 1
  

Psammotettix confinis

• part 2
  

Allygus mixtus

• subfamily Typhlocybinae:
  

• part 1
  

Alebra albostriella

• part 2
  

Eupteryx atropunctata

• part 3
  

Fagocyba carri

• part 4
  

Zygina flammigera

• Cixiidae (Lacehoppers)

Cixius nervosus

• Delphacidae (Planthoppers)

Eurysa lineata

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 8: subfamily Typhlocybinae IV and Lacehoppers and Planthoppers

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) continued


SUBFAMILY TYPHLOCYBINAE (continued)


Zygina angusta - One at the Cathedral Meadows on 29th March 2019 followed by one in my garden moth trap on 23rd August and another 3 between 24th November and 19th December.  Just one here in 2020, on 20th August.

Zygina angusta, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 29th March 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 23rd August 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 13th December 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 19th December 2019

Zygina angusta, North Elmham, 20th August 2020

Zygina flammigera - Singles at the Cathedral Meadows on 2nd May 2019 and 16th March 2020.  Caught in the garden moth trap on 3 dates between 31st July and 2nd September 2020.

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2019

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham, 31st July 2020

Zygina flammigera, North Elmham, 1st August 2020

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LACEHOPPERS (CIXIIDAE)


Cixius nervosus - My first example of this species came to light at the meadows on 7th August 2020 and was then followed by one beaten from Oak there on 5th September.

Cixius nervosus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Cixius nervosus, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 5th September 2020

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PLANTHOPPERS (DELPHACIDAE)


Asiraca clavicornis - None.  I found this species at the meadows in April 2021.


Stenocranus major - One of 3 similar hoppers at the meadows on 27th March 2019 was retained and proved to be this species.  More were found in the same area of Reed Canary-grass on 2nd May and 16th September 2020 (and in 2021).

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 27th March 2019

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 2nd May 2020

Stenocranus major, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 16th September 2020

Stenocranus minutus - None.  I found this species at the meadows in 2018.


Eurysa lineata - One at the meadows on 20th June 2020 was my first record of this species.

Eurysa lineata, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 20th June 2020

Javesella pellucida - A total of 4 Javesella planthoppers found in my garden moth trap between 17th July and 1st August 2019 and 4 again between 31st July and 10th August 2020.  Also 3 at the meadows between 24th April and 8th May 2020.  Most were females, which I understand are not reliably identified to species level but there were single confirmed male pellucida here in each year and one at the meadows.  There was another male here in 2019, but it had been parasitised by a Stylops and although the genital capsule was present (and resembled this species) it was empty, i.e. no aedeagus etc.  I can only presume that these parts had either been eaten by the Stylops or else they had not developed properly as a result of the Stylops being there.

probable female Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 17th July 2019

probable male Javesella pellucida infected by Stylops, North Elmham, 24th July 2019

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 27th July 2019

probable female Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 1st August 2019

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 24th April 2020

male Javesella pellucida, North Elmham, 6th August 2020 - showing aedeagus

Struebingianella lugubrina - None.  I caught this species at home in 2018.

Review of 2019 and 2020 - Leafhoppers part 7: subfamily Typhlocybinae III

LEAFHOPPERS (CICADELLIDAE) continued


SUBFAMILY TYPHLOCYBINAE (continued)


Fagocyba carri - One to light at the meadows on 7th August 2020 and one in the garden moth trap on 22nd September 2020.  None in 2019 but I caught 3 here in 2018 (and one at the meadows).  I also got round to identifying one from Wiveton Downs in 2016 which I had retained for checking (but didn't at that time know how).  The RES key seems to imply that cruenta can be yellow or brownish-grey whereas carri is always yellow, but this is at odds with my experience.  I don't think I've ever caught a cruenta that hasn't been yellow (some are strong deep yellow while others are washed out whitish yellow) but carri appears to be much more variable.  The 4 carri I found in 2018 were all yellow appearing identical to cruenta but 2 of the 3 featured here (one from 2020 and the recently-identified one from 2016) were brown, and the other one from 2020 was intermediate.  All of these brown or intermediate individuals had the pigment pretty much restricted to the top and centre of the wing, the costal region below being clear.

male Fagocyba carri, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

female Fagocyba carri, North Elmham, 22nd September 2020 - showing seventh abdominal sternum and ovipositor

female Fagocyba carri, Wiveton Downs, 26th October 2016 (identified in 2021)

Fagocyba cruenta - 2 on my beach hedge on 21st June 2019 followed by a total of 9 in my moth trap up to 14th October.  A total of 12 caught in my garden moth trap between 23rd June and 7th November 2020.  Also recorded at Swanton Great Wood and Row Heath (West Runton) in late August 2019 and in Cornwall in October 2020.  Quite a bit of variation in the intensity of yellow (males may average brighter but a lot of overlap):

male Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 29th June 2019

female Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 10th October 2019

female Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 1st October 2019

female Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 14th October 2019

male Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 28th June 2020

female Fagocyba cruenta, North Elmham, 23rd July 2020

Edwardsiana sp. - Another tricky genus where for the most part at least, females can't be identified.  8 females caught in my moth trap in 2019 and 3 in 2020, plus a few elsewhere.  Also 2 males I couldn't resolve as their genitalia didn't quite match any of the species.  One was probably a mal-formed rosae but the other was a complete mystery as I couldn't find its aedeagus.  The following males were satisfactorily identified.


Edwardsiana crataegi - None.  I've caught and identified this species here once, in 2018.


Edwardsiana flavescens - None.  I've caught and identified this species here once, in 2017.


Edwardsiana geometrica - None.  I've caught this relatively distinctive species here once, in 2016.


Edwardsiana lethierryi - A male caught in the garden moth trap on 29th August 2020.  I've caught this species here once before and once at the meadows, both in 2018.

male Edwardsiana lethierryi, North Elmham, 29th August 2020 - showing aedeagus at different orientations

Edwardsiana prunicola - One on willow at the Cathedral Meadows on 21st June 2019 was the first I identified of this species.

male Edwardsiana prunicola, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 21st June 2019 - showing aedeagus at different orientations

Edwardsiana rosae - A male in my moth trap on 2nd July 2019 was the first time I've identified this species in my garden although it's the Edwardsiana I've identified most often elsewhere (including one at the meadows in 2018).  3 caught in Cornwall in early October 2020 - I'd caught 3 here in 2018 too.

male Edwardsiana rosae, North Elmham, 2nd July 2019

male Edwardsiana rosae, Tresidder (Cornwall), 6th October 2020 - showing aedeagus at different orientations

male Edwardsiana rosae, Tresidder (Cornwall), 6th October 2020 - second individual

Edwardsiana spinigera - A new species for me in 2020 but 4 males caught in the garden moth trap between 1st and 16th July.

male Edwardsiana spinigera, North Elmham, 2nd July 2020

male Edwardsiana spinigera, North Elmham, 3rd July 2020 - showing aedeagus at different orientations

Edwardsiana ulmiphagus - One in my garden moth trap on 14th June 2020 was a new leafhopper for me.  It was followed by 3 in Cornwall on 6th-7th October.  This species keys to Edwardsiana hippocastani using the RES key but if I understand other sources correctly this is now known as Edwardsiana ulmiphagus.

male Edwardsiana ulmiphagus, North Elmham, 14th June 2020 - showing aedeagus at different orientations

Alnetoidea alneti - Singles in my garden moth trap on 12th July and 16th August 2019.  Athough I had seen this species before I had forgotten how similar they are to Fagocyba and Edwardsiana spp.

female Alnetoidea alneti, North Elmham, 12th July 2019

male Alnetoidea alneti, North Elmham, 16th August 2019

Arboridia ribauti - Singles in my garden moth trap on 14th August and 30th October 2020, my second and third records following one here in 2018.

Arboridia ribauti, North Elmham, 14th August 2020

Arboridia ribauti, North Elmham, 30th October 2020

Next page: more Leafhoppers plus