Flatidae

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Flatidae
Flatid leaf bugs and nymphs (Phromnia rosea).jpg
adult bugs and nymphs ( Flatida rosea )
Ankarana Reserve, Madagascar
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha
Infraorder: Fulgoromorpha
Superfamily: Fulgoroidea
Family: Flatidae
Spinola, 1839
Subfamilies
Flatid nymph from Assam, India 2007-Flatid-nymph.jpg
Flatid nymph from Assam, India
Ormenoides venusta nymph Ormenoides venusta nymph.jpg
Ormenoides venusta nymph
A small clip showing a Flatid nymph of about 4 to 5mm walking

Flatidae are a family of fulgoroid planthoppers. [1] They are cosmopolitan in distribution and are distinguished from others in the superfamily by a combination of characters. Like all other planthoppers, they suck phloem sap of plants. Some species are known to communicate with vibrations through the plant stems. [2] Communication may be with mates, or with ants that tend the nymphs, protecting them and gathering honeydew secretions. [3] Adults of some species have brightly coloured forewings which are tougher and known as tegmina unlike the membranous hindwings which are used for flight. Although a few can be identified by their coloration, most species requires dissection and examination under a microscope with access to literature on already described species. [4]

Contents

There are two subfamilies within the family. In the subfamily Flatinae, the body of adults is flattened laterally and the tegmina are tent-like. In the Flatoidinae, the body is not laterally compressed and the tegmina are not as tent-like and sometimes held horizontally. The wing venation is distinctive in that the veins in the anal region are nodose, and the costal area has numerous cross veins. [5] The antennae are small and the first segment is collar-like and small. The second segment is longer and ends in a bulge and a flagellum arises from it. They have two ocelli. Nymphs have a tail of waxy filaments.

Subfamilies and genera

Genera within the family Flatidae include: [6] [7]

Flatinae

Auth.: Spinola, 1839; selected genera:

tribe Ceryniini Distant, 1906
tribe Flatini Spinola, 1839
  • subtribe Flatina Spinola, 1839
  • subtribe Lawanina Melichar, 1923
  • subtribe Phyllyphantina Melichar, 1923
  • subtribe Scarpantina Melichar, 1923
  • subtribe Siphantina Melichar, 1923
tribe Nephesini Distant, 1906
tribe Phantiini Melichar, 1923
tribe Phromniini Distant, 1906
tribe Poekillopterini Kirkaldy, 1907
tribe Selizini Distant, 1906
tribe Sisciini Melichar, 1923

Flatoidinae

Auth.: Melichar, 1901

incertae sedis

References

  1. "Flatidae". Catalogue of Life . Species 2000: Leiden, the Netherlands. Retrieved 30 May 2025.
  2. Virant-Doberlet, Meta; Žežlina, Ivan (2007). "Vibrational Communication of Metcalfa pruinosa (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae)" (PDF). Annals of the Entomological Society of America. 100 (1): 73–82. doi: 10.1603/0013-8746(2007)100[73:VCOMPH]2.0.CO;2 .
  3. Pfeiffer, Martin; Linsenmair, K.E. (2007). "Trophobiosis in a tropical rainforest on Borneo: giant ants Camponotus gigas (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) herd wax cicadas Bythopsyrna circulata (Auchenorrhyncha: Flatidae)". Asian Myrmecology. 1: 105–119. doi:10.20362/am.001010.
  4. Stephen W. Wilson (2005). "Keys to the families of Fulgoromorpha with emphasis on planthoppers of potential economic importance in the Southeastern United States (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha)". Florida Entomologist . 88 (4): 464–481. doi: 10.1653/0015-4040(2005)88[464:kttfof]2.0.co;2 .
  5. F. Muir (1923). "On the classification of the Fulgoroidea (Homoptera)" (PDF). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society . 5 (2): 205–247.
  6. Bourgoin Th. (2013) Hemiptera Database - FLOW (Fulgoromorpha Lists on The Web): a world knowledge base dedicated to Fulgoromorpha. Version 8.
  7. BioLib.cz: family Flatidae Spinola, 1839 (retrieved 29 August 2020)
  8. "The insects killing Fraser Island's pandanus population". Queensland Times. 26 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2021.
  9. Coghill, Jon (29 October 2015). "Rangers turn to tiny native wasp to save Fraser Island's iconic pandanus population". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 4 January 2021.