Tropiduchidae

Definition

A family of planthoppers in the order Hemiptera, comprising at least 160 genera and 600 described species. Members are typically small to medium-sized fulgoroideans with reduced or modified wings in some lineages, often associated with grasses and sedges in tropical and subtropical habitats.

Etymology

Example

The genus Tambinia includes economically significant Tropiduchidae that feed on rice and other cereals, sometimes transmitting plant pathogens.

Related Terms

• planthopper
• Fulgoroidea
• Hemiptera
• Auchenorrhyncha
• Delphacidae
• Cixiidae

Usage Notes

Tropiduchidae is one of the larger families within the superfamily Fulgoroidea, though historically understudied compared to Delphacidae and Cixiidae. Wing polymorphism—reduced wings in brachypterous forms versus fully developed macropterous forms—is common in the family and complicates field identification. The family is predominantly tropical, with highest diversity in the Afrotropical and Oriental regions.