Lophopidae

Definition

A family of fulgoroid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) distributed primarily in tropical South America and tropical Asia, characterized by often elaborate head ornamentation and cryptic bark- or twig-mimicking body forms.

Etymology

Example

Members of Lophopidae such as Pyrgus species are frequently encountered by tropical forest entomologists when beating vegetation, where their flattened, bark-like bodies make them difficult to distinguish from substrate.

Related Terms

• Fulgoroidea
• Hemiptera
• planthopper
• Eurybrachidae
• Dictyopharidae
• Tettigometridae

Usage Notes

One of several families historically grouped as 'fulgoroid' planthoppers; distinguished from related families Eurybrachidae and Dictyopharidae by details of wing venation, head capsule structure, and male genitalia. The family has undergone significant taxonomic revision, and some former subfamilies have been elevated to family rank in recent phylogenetic treatments.