Extraordinary-jumper
Guides
Fitchiella robertsonii
ball-nosed planthopper
Fitchiella robertsonii is a rare, diminutive planthopper historically known from fewer than 20 collection sites across North America. The species was considered potentially extinct until its rediscovery in Iowa tallgrass prairie in 2008, with subsequent 12-year research yielding 219 specimens—representing 90% of all known collections. Adults measure less than 5 mm but can leap 35 inches in a single jump, roughly 250 times their body length. The species exhibits both brachypterous (short-winged, flightless) and macropterous (long-winged) forms.