Cercopoidea
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Alder leafhopper ( Aphrophora alni ), leafhopper (Aphrophoridae). |
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| Cercopoidea | ||||||||||
| Evans , 1946 | ||||||||||
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The Cercopoidea (English froghoppers or spittlebugs ) are next to the Membracoidea and the Cicadoidea a superfamily within the subordination of the round head cicadas (Cicadomorpha, Clypeorrhyncha). In German-speaking countries they are also referred to as foam leafhoppers in the broader sense. It includes the families cercopidae (Cercopidae) froghoppers (Aphrophoridae), the very rare Epipygidae , Clastopteridae and Machaerotidae .
To date, around 3000 species from around 366 genera have been described worldwide. Both the adult insects and the larvae of all representatives of the Cercopoidea are sap suckers and partly as carriers of plant viruses (pathogens of plant viruses) of economic importance.
Outer shape
The types of the Cercopoidea differ considerably in their outer shape. They are usually inconspicuously straw-colored, brownish or black in color. Blood droppings (Cercopidae), on the other hand, are often markedly black-red or brown-orange. The body shape is predominantly elongated or broad-elongated oval. The wing covers (elytres) are often leathery and covered with pits (Cercopidae, Aphrophoridae) or hyaline with distinct, often raised veins (Macaerotidae, Clastopteridae). Like all cicadas, they have roof-like wings when they are at rest. The membranous hind wings lie under the forewings. The body and the wing covers are covered with fine bristles.
The feet ( tarsi ) are tripartite. The hind hips ( coxa ) are conical. The rails of the rear pair of legs ( tibia ) are round and usually relatively short. The rails of the hind legs carry one to several strong thorns and a wreath of thorns ( meron ) at the base. The strong legs give them good jumping power.
The head has two point eyes ( ocelles ) on the top (vertex), a pair of compound eyes and a pair of short bristle-shaped feelers (antennae). The frontal plate ( clypeus ), viewed from the front and the side, is more or less bulging, depending on the type, and contains the so-called suction pump. However, this is reduced in the Epipygidae.
Like all cicadas, the Cercopoidea also have a proboscis to absorb plant juices. The lower lip ( labium ) of the animals is designed as a slide for the spikes made up of the mandibles and maxillae . Inside the laciniae (part of the maxilla) there is a channel through which suction can take place, as well as a saliva channel through which saliva is conducted into the feeding site. As with all Schnabelkerfen, parts of the oral cavity are transformed into a suction pump.
Internal structure and physiology
The internal anatomy and physiology of the cercopoid largely correspond to that of insects. In adaptation to the special diet, cercopoidea, like all round-headed leafhoppers, have a special construction of the digestive tract in order to release excess water or carbohydrates . In the intestines of the sap teats there is a filter chamber that creates a transition region between the fore and midgut and the hindgut. It enables the excess water and carbohydrates to be drained directly into the rectum. Furthermore, the centers of the rope ladder nerve systems typical of insects are only present in the round-headed cicadas in the head and chest; the abdomen is supplied by the nerve center of the chest.
distribution
With the exception of the Arctic and Antarctic, the Cercopoidea are common in all zoogeographic regions. They are very species-rich , especially in the tropics . Only a small percentage of the cercopoid has been described so far. New species are currently being discovered and their phylogenetic position investigated, especially in the Neotropic .
Way of life
It is certain that the larvae of the representatives of the families Cercopidae, Aphrophoridae and Clastopteridae live in foam nests they have made themselves. An exception are the tropical Machaerotidae, whose larvae exist in water-filled, self-made calcareous tubes. The larvae of the Epipygidae apparently do not produce any foam; the little-known adult members of this family have all the distinctive features of the cercopoid.
Phylogeny and systematics of the Cercopoidae
A comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of the superfamily of the cercopoidea based on the determination of ribosomal 18S-r DNA , 28S-rDNA and histones 3 confirms the monophyly of the superfamily. The family of Cercopidae has also been identified as a monophyletic group. From the possibly paraphyletic Aphrophoridae, another, the neotropically distributed family Epipygidae, has been split off. The Clastopteridae and the Macherotidae are sister taxa , although it has not yet been finally clarified whether the latter are to be understood as a subfamily (Macherotinae) of the Clastopteridae.
Sources and further information
Single sources
- ^ A b K. G. Andrew Hamilton: A new family of froghoppers from the American tropics (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Epipygidae) . Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada Research Branch Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1A 0C6 ( PDF ( Memento of the original from May 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. ), Retrieved August 14, 2006
- ↑ Wilfried Westheide & Reinhard Rieger (eds.): Special Zoology, Part 1: Protozoa and invertebrates. Gustav Fischer Verlag, Stuttgart, Jena, New York, 1996. Pages 650–651
- ^ R. Remane & E. Wachmann : Cicadas - get to know, observe - Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg 1993, ISBN 3-89440-044-7
- ^ CH Dietrich: Evolution of Cicadomorpha (Insecta, Hemiptera) . In: Zikaden, leafhoppers, planthoppers and cicadas (Insekta, Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha) 2002, In: Denisia 4, pp. 155-169, 2002, ISBN 3-85474-077-8
- ^ A b Jason R. Cryan: Molecular phylogeny of Cicadomorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadoidea, Cercopoidea, and Membracoidea): adding evidence to controversy. Systematic Entomology 30 (4), Oct 2005, pp 563-574.
further reading
- Reinhard Remane, Ekkehard Wachmann: Cicadas - get to know, observe . - Naturbuch Verlag, Augsburg 1993, ISBN 3-89440-044-7
