Planthoppers, Fulgoromorpha, are members of the True Bug order, Hemiptera, distinguished by their enlarged back legs, which enable them to leap in a similar way to Grasshoppers. Like many True Bugs they feed on plants by drilling into them with specialised mouth parts to drill into their host and drain their sap, and while few species are serious pests in themselves, they are often vectors for plant diseases. Planthoppers tend to be well camouflaged, with many species mimicking leaves or other plant-parts.
In a paper published in the journal Entomological Science on 22 July 2016, Rui Meng and Yinglun Wang of the Key Laboratory of Plant Protection Resources and Pest Management at the Entomological Museum of Northwest A&F University, describe a new species of Planthopper from Hainan Island in southern China.
The species is placed in a new genus, Neotapirissus, meaning 'new-Tapirissus', in reference to a previously described genus from Laos, and given the specific name reticularis, in reference to the venation of the modified forewings, which is reticulated (net-like). The species is described from three specimens, a male, 5.8 mm in length, and two females, 6.1 and 6.2 mm in length, all are black and brown in colour.
Neotapirissus reticularis, male, (1) dorsal view, (2) face, (3) lateral view. Scale bars, 1mm. Meng & Wang (2016).
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