Delphacid Planthoppers (Delphacidae) - 333 Species, Identification & Facts

Anakelisia fasciata

A very variable species associated with sedges in wetlands. The forewings range from pale and almost unmarked to almost entirely dark or black. There may be a small dark mark at the wing apex. The sides of the face (genae) have a small black spot. Go

Asiraca clavicornis

Length 3 to 4 mm. An unmistakeable species with extraordinary antennae and expanded leaf-like front legs. Photographs required please, as this species is uncommon in our area. Notable B (ref: UK Auchenorrhyncha checklist 202 1) Believed to be declini

Bostaera nasuta

Described from 10 spmns collected in south, east and north Colorado (Ball 1902)

Chionomus puella

Identification: white collar is distinctive. [but not unique to this sp.]

Chloriona glaucescens

Length 3-5mm. Bluish-green ("glaucous") or greenish-yellow planthopper. Females are easier to identify than males, by examination of external genitalia. Unless identified by a recognised expert, a photo is required and the specimen should be examined

Conomelus anceps

Length 4 mm. The males are distinctive, with reddish-brown ground colour and wings with dark spots on the veins. It is most commonly brachypterous and in these individuals the forewings are darker at the base and tip. Macropters occur less frequently

Criomorphus albomarginatus agg.

Length 2 to 4 mm. This is a difficult genus and examination of male genitalia is needed to separate the 3 species. Criomorphus albomaginatus has a rear genital segment that is approximately triangular in rear view. The frons (face) has 2 median keels

Delphacodes venosus

Length 1.4-2.5mm for brachypters, 3.0-3.2mm for macropters. A rather plain brown species. Keels of pronotum reach hind margin. First antennal segment as long as thickest part. Frons without pale bar. Abdomen blackish on top. Vertex, pronotum and scut

Delphax pulchellus

Males 5mm, females 8mm. Brachypterous and macropterous forms occur. Males are distinctively pigmented, females brown and could be confused with Asiraca clavicornis , but in this species the anterior tibiae are not flattened. The frons is mostly brown

Ditropis pteridis

Length 3-4 mm. A distinctive planthopper associated with Bracken. The foreparts are yellowish and the wings and top of the abdomen are dark; males are smaller than females, and have longer wings, although almost all are brachypeterous. Common (ref.:

Euides basilinea

A large planthopper (5 - 7mm) associated with Common Reed Phragmites australis . Macropterous (long-winged) individuals have a striking wing pattern with a dark stripe at the base of the forewing and a crescent-shaped dark mark at the wing apex, Brac

Florodelphax leptosoma

Length 2 to 4 mm, dark forewings with a white apex. Sometimes macropterous. Females have a completely yellow-brown pronotum. Dissection of male genitalia will confirm ID of males. Florodelphax paryphasma. Criomorphus spp . also have white tips to the

Hyledelphax elegantula

Length 2.5 to 3.5 mm. Usually brachypterous. Head and pronotum pale with some darker markings in male. Pale whitish forewings, and a dark frons with prominaent white keels. Sexually dimorphic; males have a dark scutellum with a white tip and darker a

Javesella dubia

Length c. 2.5 - 3.5 mm). Both macropterous and brachypterous forms exist, and colouration varies. The forewing is brown, and has an asymmetrical apex. The frons is dark with paler keels. Males tend to be darker than females. Male genital segment at t

Javesella pellucida

Length 3 mm. Macropterous (long-winged) and brachypterous (short-winged) forms occur, and colouration varies. Males are darker than females. Forewings are translucent, and may be tinged brown or whitish; in macropters they are considerably longer tha

Kelisia axialis

Identification: The thin line down the wings is distinctive [Dr. Hamilton]

Kelisia flagellata

Identification: Paratypes Type Locality: Douglas Co., KS

Kelisia guttulifera

Length 3 to 4.5 mm. Sub-lateral bands on wings distinct and apex dark. Precise pattern of dark spots on the head is characteristic. Front and middle tibiae with no or pale longitudinal streak. Can only be identified by examination of male internal ge

Kelisia punctulum

The 4-5mm yellowish-brown hopper has a rather narrow shape and has the medial vein of the pale forewings darkened, especially toward the wing-tip. There is some variation however, so other long veins may also be darkened, and one form has a dark spot

Kelisia spinosa

Identification: the darkest, most strongly marked member of the genus

Kosswigianella lutulenta

Identification: Kosswigianella has a comparatively short and broad (in front view) second segment on the antenna.

Common Waterlily Planthopper

Megamelus davisi

Identification: Anal processes projecting posteriorly

Metadelphax propinqua

Identification: head narrow; wings have a dark mark where they meet over abdomen; large leaflike calcar ("spur") on hind leg [adapted from K.G.A. Hamilton's comments] earliest NA record: CA 1880 ( 3 )

Muellerianella fairmairei

Length 2.5 to 4 mm. Brachypterous (short-winged) and macropterous (long-winged) form occur. A brown planthopper, with a broad pale zone down the central part of the pronotum and scutellum. Females cannot be identifed with certainty; males can be sepa

Neomegamelanus elongatus

Identification: "The species with the shortest head in the genus....Females are short-winged." (Andy Hamilton)

Neomegamelanus lautus

Identification: The head is as long as the eye. Males are mottled black, females are pale. Head about twice as long as wide at base; upper hind corner of anal segment produced into a lobe; a single pair of curved fang-like processes arising from abou

Corn Delphacid

Peregrinus maidis

Identification: distinctive, larger than many delphacids with slightly patterned wings and a pale stripe along the midline of the body; the middle carina of the face is forked well below the top of of the head in frontal view. Also, when viewing the

Pissonotus basalis

Identification: "Two species have a black face and banded upper side, but only this one occurs in the New England states. The other, P. nitens, is found in the SE states around the Gulf." Andy Hamilton

Pissonotus dorsalis

Identification: This species has a pale area on the abdomen[Dr. Andy Hamilton]

Pissonotus flabellatus

Identification: very wide front legs are characteristic ( P. tesselatus from se. US also has wide legs)

Pissonotus guttatus

Identification: The dark head contrasting with the red wings is distinctive, and the wing tips are marked with just white spots instead of a transverse bar.

Pissonotus piceus

Identification: The way the white band across the wing tips is almost interrupted by a black spot is distinctive. [Dr. Andy Hamilton] Males are black, females brown

Saltmarsh Delphacid Planthopper

Prokelisia dolus

The face is striped, narrowed at the tip, and shorter than in P. marginata . This is a very common species, especially on the Atlantic coast. [comment by Andy Hamilton] "The commonest species in northern coastlines, on Spartina alterniflora in the ti

Prokelisia marginata

The wolf spider, Pardosa littoralis is a predator of this planthopper. ( 3 )

Sogatella kolophon

"Nobody knows where S. kolophon came from; but the probabilities are palaeotropics. I am treating it as pantropical until further evidence emerges." --K.G.A. Hamilton, pers. comm. to =v= 10.ii.2012

Stenocranus lautus

Identification: Distinguished from other species with the same color pattern by the hind tarsus, that is as long as the hind tibia (up to its joint with the tarsus). [comment by Andy Hamilton]

Stenocranus major

Length 5.5 to 6.5 mm. A large slender planthopper associated with Reed Canary-grass Phalaris arundinacea . Light brown with paler, orange-edged longitudinal stripe down centre of head, pronotum and scutellum. The forewing has a darker longitudinal ba

Stenocranus minutus

Length 5 to 6 mm. A large slender planthopper associated with Light brown with paler, orange-edged longitudinal stripe down centre of head, pronotum and scutellum. The forewing has a darker longitudinal band, which varies in intensity and extent. The

Stenocranus unipunctatus

Identification: the streak on the wing tips emanating from a dark spot is distinctive --Andy Hamilton

Stobaera tricarinata

Identification: wings long, triangular, widest beyond midpoint, mostly clear except for some translucent brown patches; wing veins white with many black dots, giving stippled appearance; legs white to pale brown with several prominent black bands; wi

Syndelphax alexanderi

Syndelphax alexanderi (Syndelphax alexanderi) is a species in the family Delphacidae, commonly known as delphacid planthoppers, belonging to the order Hemiptera (True Bugs, Cicadas, Hoppers, Aphids and Allies). It is classified within the subfamily D

Syndelphax fulvidorsum

Identification: Syndelphax - University of Delaware

St. Augustine Grass Planthopper

Syndelphax pseudoseminigra

Identification: Syndelphax - University of Delaware In March 2005, a large infestation of the delphacid planthopper, Liburnia pseudoseminigra (Muir & Gifford), was found infesting St. Augustinegrass, Stenotaphrum secundatum , in a commercial sod farm

Tagosodes cubanus

Identification: tentative det. C. Bartlett, 2022 a vector of Rice hoja blanca tenuivirus (RHBV) ( 3 )

Tagosodes dorsolineatus

Identification: boldly marked, see: Genus page - Univ. Del. Type Locality: Brownsville, Texas, June 29, 1938, R.H. Beamer

Xanthodelphax straminea

Length 2.5 to 3.5 mm (macropters ~4 mm). Entirely yellow-orange in colour. Examination of genitalia will confirm ID; Male has very short parameres compared to X flaveola. The nationally rare Xanthodelphax flaveola males have longer parameres; not rec