Photo: Aplos simplex nymph, Judy Gallagher
Judy Gallagher
March 2025
Have you ever seen a small insect with a fiber-optic-like tail? If so, you've probably seen a planthopper nymph.
Aplos simplex nymph (family Issidae), Judy Gallagher
Planthoppers are True Bugs, members of insect order Hemiptera. There are twenty Planthopper families world-wide, with twelve families in North America north of Mexico, so it's quite a diverse group of insects. There are over 900 species reported in the U.S. and Canada. They range in size from 0.08 inches to 4 1/2 inches, but most of our local planthoppers are on the smaller end of the range.
Delphacid Planthopper (family Delphacidae) showing the bulbous antenna projection (the little circle under its eye), Judy Gallagher
There are other kinds of hoppers: leafhoppers; froghoppers and treehoppers. Planthoppers can be distinguished from those by their wing venation and their antennae, which are below the eye and have a bulbous projection. Unlike other hoppers, planthoppers have two face segments that separate their simple eyes or ocelli. Some planthopper species have both full-winged and short-winged adults. The short-winged adults can't fly, but the full-winged adults can, and they often occur in the same population. But they often hop rather than fly, and both adults and nymphs can hop up to 100 times their body length.
Most local planthoppers have between one and three generations a year, but some tropical species can have up to 12 generations in a year. Adults feed on plant juices, but some nymphs feed on fungus or mosses. Some species are host-specific, feeding on one plant or several related plants, while others can feed on many different plants.
Spotted Lanternfly (family Fulgoridae), seen here on an NVBA field trip to Cape May, on board member Tom Wood's shoe, Judy Gallagher
Most local planthoppers don't cause much damage to plants. There are a few crop-damaging planthoppers found outside our area, like the Brown Planthopper, a significant pest of rice. The invasive Spotted Lanternfly is a problem for both fruit and forest industries in our area. It's bigger than most of our local species. It sucks out plant juices, wounding the plant, and excretes a sugary fluid that causes sooty mold, which can further damage the plant. The Spotted Lanternfly is a member of family Fulgoridae. Species in this family have elongated snouts, and folklore has it that these snouts illuminate at night, hence the name Lanternfly.
Some plant-damaging planthoppers can help control invasive plants. The Waterhyacinth Planthopper has been released in Florida to help control Water Hyacinth, which tends to clog waterways.
Big Bluet damselfly eating a Northern Flatid Planthopper (family Flatidae), Judy Gallagher
Planthoppers are a significant source of food for anything higher up on the food chain.
Aplos simplex (family Issidae) nymph (The black thing near the tail is a Pincer Wasp parasitoid), Judy Gallagher
And they are also preyed upon by parasitoids. Pincer Wasps (family Dryinidae) are parasitoids of planthopper and other hopper nymphs, with rates of parasitism of 20% or more, and they are an important biological control of planthoppers.
Aplos elliptica or bullata (family Issidae) parasitized by Planthopper Parasite Moth (the white thing protruding from the rear end of the planthopper), Judy Gallagher
One of the more bizarre parasitoids is a Moth. The Planthopper Parasite Moth is the only local member of a Moth family, Epipyropidae, whose caterpillars are all carnivorous. The adult moth lays its eggs on plants, and the caterpillars find an adult planthopper, attach themselves to it, and feed on the planthopper's bodily fluids.
Two-striped Planthopper nymph (family Acanaloniidae) showing off its waxy tail, Judy Gallagher
You might have been wondering why planthopper nymphs have those fiber-optic tails. The tails are made of wax secreted from abdominal glands, and some tropical planthopper nymphs have tails that are several inches long. The tails can deter predators by either camouflaging the planthopper or acting as a physical barrier against predators and parasites. Planthoppers secrete sugary waste called honeydew that is prone to fungal attacks, and the tails may also help protect the nymphs from the fungus. But a recent study proved another benefit of the tails. As I mentioned before, wingless planthopper nymphs can jump long distances. If the nymph lands in an unfavorable body position, it is susceptible to predation. The tails serve an aerodynamic self-righting function, allowing the nymphs to have a stable, controlled descent. Planthopper nymphs with waxy tails land in a good position 98.5% of the time, while tail-less planthopper nymphs only land in a good position 35.5% of the time.
I hope you find some cool planthoppers this season, but no Spotted Lanternflies!
View more of Judy’s Closer Look (formerly Observations from Meadowood) articles here.