Leafhoppers, Cicadellidae, are small True Bugs,
Hemiptera, closely related to Cicadas. They feed by draining sap from plants
through modified needle-like mouthparts, and can reach very high densities on
some plants quite quickly, with the result that many species are considered to
be agricultural pests.
In a paper published in the journal ZooKeys on 26 March 2015, Jichun
Xing and Zizhong Li of the Institute of Entomology at Guizhou University
describe a new species in the Leafhopper genus Scaphoidella from Yunnan Province, as part of a review of the
species of this genus found in China.
The new species is named Scaphoidella dietrichi,
in honour of Cristopher Dietrich of the Illinois Natural History Survey in recognition of his work on leafhoppers.
The species is described from a single male specimen 4.4 mm in length, and
white and gold in colour with a chocolate brown band between the eyes. The
specimen was collected from grass at Menglun in Xishuangbanna Prefecture.
Scaphoidella dietrichi, male specimen; (9) dorsal view and (10) lateral view, (11) head and
thorax in dorsal view, (12) face. Xing & Li (2015).
See also…
Two new species of Leafhoppers from China. Leafhoppers are small members of the True Bug order Hemiptera,
closely related to Cicadas. They are typically small and inconspicuous as
individuals, seldom more than a few millimetres in length, but in large numbers
can be harmful to plants and are often considered to be...
Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are small members of the True Bug Order Hemeptera, with specialized mouthparts for sucking sap. They are extremely abundant across the globe, with over 20 000...
New species of Leafhopper from Brazil. Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae) are small members of the True-bug order, Hemiptera, with hind legs modified for jumping. They feed on plants by draining the sap with...
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