Melizoderidae

Definition

A small family of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracoidea) endemic to South America, comprising two genera, Melizoderes and Llanquihuea. Distinguished from related families by nymphal morphology in which the tergum of the 9th abdominal segment conceals the anal opening from above, a convex and anteriorly extended frontoclypeus, and a pronotum that extends forward and above but not backward over the keeled scutellum.

Etymology

Example

Melizoderid nymphs can be identified in the field by the distinctive concealment of the anal opening beneath the 9th tergum, unlike nymphs of the related treehopper family Membracidae.

Related Terms

• treehopper
• Membracidae
• Aetalionidae
• Membracoidea
• Hemiptera
• pronotum
• scutellum
• frontoclypeus
• Tergum

Usage Notes

Formerly treated as a subfamily within Membracidae; elevated to family rank by Deitz & Dietrich in 1993 based on morphological and molecular data. The family's restricted South American distribution and unique nymphal characters make it significant for studies of membracoid diversification and biogeography. Adults lack the enlarged pronotal processes characteristic of many Membracidae.