Issidae

Definition

A family of planthoppers in the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha, superfamily Fulgoroidea, described by Spinola in 1839. Members are typically small to medium-sized fulgoroid insects with compact bodies, often bearing flattened or enlarged pronotal extensions; many species exhibit reduced wings and a jumping dispersal habit. The family is cosmopolitan but especially diverse in the Palearctic, Oriental, and Afrotropical regions.

Etymology

From the type genus Issus (classical Greek river name Issos, applied to insects) + -idae (family suffix).

Example

The European planthopper Issus coleoptratus (Issidae) is notable for possessing functional gear mechanisms on its hindleg trochantera, the first known example of mechanical gearing in a biological system.

Related Terms

• Fulgoroidea
• Auchenorrhyncha
• planthopper
• Hemiptera
• Issus
• Hemisphaeriinae
• Hysteropterinae

Usage Notes

Distinguished from other Fulgoroidea by the combination of a compact body form, often modified pronotum, and hind tibiae typically bearing two lateral spines plus an apical pair. Formerly included many taxa now placed in separate families (e.g., Caliscelidae, Tropiduchidae); modern circumscription is narrower. The spelling 'Issidae' (not 'Isssidae') follows standard zoological nomenclature for family names derived from -us type genera.