Siphanta acuta

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Siphanta acuta
Siphanta acuta 64321638.jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha
Infraorder: Fulgoromorpha
Family: Flatidae
Genus: Siphanta
Species:
S. acuta
Binomial name
Siphanta acuta
(Walker, 1851) [1]
Synonyms
  • Cromna elegans(Costa, 1864)
  • Phalainesthes schauinslandi(Kirkaldy, 1899)
  • Poeciloptera acuta(Walker, 1851)
  • Poeciloptera cupido(Walker, 1851)
  • Poeciloptera hebes(Walker, 1851)
  • Siphanta cupido(Walker, 1851)
  • Siphanta elegans(Costa, 1864)
  • Siphanta schauinslandi(Kirkaldy, 1899)

Siphanta acuta is a species of planthopper in the family Flatidae; this species is native to Australia, but is now found in various other parts of the world. About 10 mm long, they resemble small leaves and are generally found in trees. Its common names are Green Planthopper (in Australia and New Zealand) and Torpedo Bug (in Hawaii). [2]

Contents

Description

Adult Siphanta acuta are large-winged (as are other members of the family Flatidae) and bright green. [3] Their wings are triangular, sharply pointed at the tip, and sit held like a steep roof. [4] Their wings project behind the end of their abdomen and almost reach the ground. Most of their body is concealed; a pointed head and distal segments of front and middle legs (sometimes tarsus of hind legs) are visible. [3] The body length of mature green planthoppers is around 9.3 mm. [5] They have two pairs of wings, three pairs of legs, one pair of antennae, and compound eyes on either side of their head; they have piercing/sucking mouthparts and females have an ovipositor at the end of the abdomen. [4]

Nymphs of Siphanta acuta are white with a pair of waxy filaments either side of the sixth abdominal segment, with two long tufts at the tip of the abdomen. [4] Their form is like that of the mature form, with a rostrum to feed from, three pairs of legs, and a pair of antennae. [4]

Geographic distribution and habitat

Natural global range

Siphanta acuta naturally occurs in Australia (continentally and Tasmania), California (adventive), Hawaii (adventive), and South Africa (adventive). [6]

New Zealand range

Within New Zealand, Siphanta acuta is found in both North and South Islands. Noted geographic distribution in the North Island includes Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Coromandel, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Northland, Taranaki, Wairarapa, Wanganui, Wellington, and the Waikato. [2] Noted geographic distribution in the South Island includes Buller, Central Otago, Mid Canterbury, Nelson, and Westland. [2]

Habitat preferences

Siphanta acuta’s preferred habitats tend to be lowland (often coastal) and montane. [2] Individuals have been surveyed in a variety of environments, from gardens with native and introduced plants, to broadleaf and mixed forests, to moss on rocks at high altitude. [2] Common host plants of Siphanta acuta within New Zealand are Coprosma , citrus trees, various ornamental shrubs; within Australia they are found on a large variety of native and exotic plants. [2] Younger instars of Siphanta acuta are often found on leaves, while older ones are often found on stems, due to food preferences; citrus is more popular among those found in the North Island, while those found in Nelson show preference to ornamental shrubs. [3]

Life cycle and phenology

In terms of phenology, adult forms of Siphanta acuta are most common in summer and autumn. [4] After mating, females usually lay 90-110 eggs on a leaf in a flat oval cluster via the ovipositor; these are known as egg-cushions, which turn from white to black (due to a fungus that grows on empty shells). [4] The newly hatched forms are nymphs, which reside near their eggs for the first early part of their life, also known as the first instar. [4] Siphanta acuta molts to move through different instars/stages of growth and maturity; second and third instars gradually become greener where they reach 3.6mm at the third, the fourth instars gain a small amount of reddish marks, and the fifth have white with pink markings. [3]

Diet, prey and predators

Diet and foraging

Siphanta acuta are sap feeders; they feed by puncturing the plant and ingesting the sap and nutrients from the plant. [6] Younger instars of Siphanta acuta feed from the leaves of plants, while older individuals feed from the stem. [3] Common host plants that Siphanta acuta feed from include coprosma, citrus trees, ornamental shrubs (within New Zealand), and a large variety of native and exotic species (within Australia). [2]

Predators, parasites and diseases

Siphanta acuta are commonly parasitized. A hymenopteran, Aphanomerus pusillus, parasitizes the eggs. [4] They were used as a form of biological control to reduce green planthopper numbers in America. [4] This parasite or a closely allied one has also been observed in New Zealand, specifically Whangarei where they were noted emerging in large numbers; mostly from eggs, some in a variety of ages, and a couple from mature planthoppers. [3] Dryinus koebelei (Dryinidae) are another parasitoid of planthoppers, and act by their larva attaching under the wing buds of planthopper nymphs. [4] Steel-blue ladybirds, Orcus chalybeus , are a common predator of Siphanta acuta, where they consume the egg cushions (most commonly in citrus orchards). [3] It is also likely that other predatory species consume Siphanta acuta, such as birds and spiders.

Other information

Siphanta acuta act as pests and are associated with Australian citrus die-back [7] while also feeding on weeds like bridal creeper. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Planthopper</span> Superfamily of insects

A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, a group exceeding 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However, planthoppers generally walk very slowly. Distributed worldwide, all members of this group are plant-feeders, though few are considered pests. The infraorder contains two superfamilies, Fulgoroidea and Delphacoidea. Fulgoroids are most reliably distinguished from the other Auchenorrhyncha by two features; the bifurcate (Y-shaped) anal vein in the forewing, and the thickened, three-segmented antennae, with a generally round or egg-shaped second segment (pedicel) that bears a fine filamentous arista.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eurybrachidae</span> Family of true bugs

Eurybrachidae is a small family of planthoppers with species occurring in parts of Asia, Australia and Africa. They are remarkable for the sophistication of their automimicry.

<i>Xanthocryptus novozealandicus</i> Species of wasp

Xanthocryptus novozealandicus, the lemon tree borer parasite, is a wasp in the family Ichneumonidae. It is a native insect of New Zealand. It is also found in Australia and New Guinea. Females hunt for larvae of wood-boring beetles around March, including the lemon tree borer, a native cerambycid that tunnels into citrus trees, grapes and many native species. When a suitable host is found, the female pushes her ovipositor through the wood and injects her eggs into the grub. This has the incidental benefit of helping to control some pests. X. novozealandicus prefers to prey on second year lemon tree borer larvae. This specific parasite prefers to prey on larger second year larvae due to its larger size.

<i>Scolypopa australis</i> Species of true bug

Scolypopa australis, commonly known as the passionvine hopper, is a species of insect in the Ricaniidae family of planthoppers (Fulgoroidea) that is native to Australia and was introduced to New Zealand. Despite its name, they are found not only on passion vines, but on many plant species, including kiwifruit and the lantana. Brown with partly transparent wings, they are 5–6 mm long as adults and 5 mm as nymphs. As an adult they look somewhat like a moth to the untrained eye, and walk "like a ballerina". The nymphs are wingless and are informally known as fluffy bums. When sufficiently aroused they will hop off their plant "with a 'snap'". Like all planthoppers they suck plant sap. This leaves a honeydew secretion which bees gather.

<i>Mictis profana</i> Species of true bug

Mictis profana is a species of insect in the family Coreidae known by the common names crusader bug and holy cross bug. It is distributed in Australia, Indonesia, and the Indo-Pacific.

<i>Metcalfa pruinosa</i> Species of planthopper

Metcalfa pruinosa, the citrus flatid planthopper, is a species of insect in the Flatidae family of planthoppers first described by Thomas Say in 1830.

<i>Planococcus citri</i> Species of true bug

Planococcus citri, commonly known as the citrus mealybug, is a species of mealybugs native to Asia. It has been introduced to the rest of the world, including Europe, the Americas, and Oceania, as an agricultural pest. It is associated with citrus, but it attacks a wide range of crop plants, ornamental plants, and wild flora.

<i>Tamarixia radiata</i> Species of wasp

Tamarixia radiata, the Asian citrus psyllid parasitoid, is an hymenopteran wasp from the family Eulophidae which was discovered in the 1920s in the area of northwestern India (Punjab), now Pakistan. It is a parasitoid of the Asian citrus psyllid, an economically important pest of citrus crops around the world and a vector for Citrus greening disease.

<i>Ricania speculum</i> Species of true bug

Ricania speculum, common name Black planthopper or Ricaniid Planthopper, is a species of planthoppers belonging to the family Ricaniidae.

<i>Euthyrhynchus floridanus</i> Species of true bug

Euthyrhynchus floridanus, the Florida predatory stink bug, is a species of carnivorous shield bug in the family Pentatomidae, the only species in the genus Euthyrhynchus. It is native to the hottest parts of the southeastern United States and is considered beneficial because its diet includes many species of pest insects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Neotibicen dealbatus</span> Species of true bug

Megatibicen dealbatus, commonly called the plains cicada, is a species of annual cicada. Dealbatus is Latin for "whitewashed".

<i>Siphanta</i> Genus of planthoppers

Siphanta is a genus of planthoppers in the family Flatidae.

<i>Hemideina femorata</i> Species of orthopteran insect

Hemideina femorata, the Canterbury tree weta is a flightless nocturnal insect from the order Orthoptera and the genus Hemideina, it is endemic to Canterbury, New Zealand, on the South Island.

<i>Aspidiotus destructor</i> Species of true bug

Aspidiotus destructor, the coconut scale, is a species of armoured scale insect in the family Diaspididae, found in many tropical and subtropical parts of the world. It is a serious pest of coconut and banana, and attacks a range of other fruiting trees and ornamental plants.

<i>Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis</i> Species of thrip

Heliothrips haemorrhoidalis is a species of thrips in the family Thripidae. It is most commonly known as the greenhouse thrips, the glasshouse thrip or black tea thrips. This species of thrips was first described in 1833 by Bouché in Berlin, Germany. H. haemorrhoidalis also has many synonyms depending on where they were described from such as: H. adonidum Haliday, H. semiaureus Girault, H. abdominalis Reuter, H. angustior Priesner, H. ceylonicus Schultz, Dinurothrips rufiventris Girault. In New Zealand, H. haemorrhoidalis is one of the four species belonging to the subfamily Panchaetothripinae.

<i>Ceroplastes rubens</i> Species of true bug

Ceroplastes rubens, known generally as the red wax scale or pink wax scale, is a species of soft scale insect in the family Coccidae. It is native to Australia but has been introduced to other countries, including New Caledonia, Japan, China, Poland and the United States.

<i>Monteithiella humeralis</i> Species of shield bug of the family Pentatomidae

Monteithiella humeralis, commonly known as the pittosporum shield bug is a species of herbivorous shield bug native to Australia and introduced in New Zealand. As its common name suggests, it is most commonly observed feeding on Pittosporum plants.

<i>Caedicia simplex</i> Species of insect

Caedicia simplex is a species of bush cricket or katydid, native to New Zealand and Australia. A common name is the "common garden katydid".

<i>Dictyotus caenosus</i> Species of true bug

Dictyotus caenosus, commonly known as the brown shield bug, is an Australian species of stink bug that has been introduced into New Zealand and New Caledonia.

<i>Lycorma imperialis</i> Species of insect

Lycorma imperialis is a planthopper indigenous to parts of China and Indo-Malaysia. L. imperialis was originally discovered in 1846 by Adam White and has one recognized non-nominate subspecies, L. i. punicea. L. imperialis has undergone a number of reclassifications since its discovery and is one of four species in the genus Lycorma. L. imperialis follows a hemimetabolous life cycle and will undergo a series of nymphal stages (instars) before maturing to an adult.

References

  1. ↑ Walker, Francis (1851). List of the Specimens of Homopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 M.-C. Lariviere, M. J. (2010). Fauna of New Zealand, Auchenorrhyncha (Insecta: Hemiptera): catalogue. Landcare Research, 63.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Myers, J. (1922). Life-History of Siphanta acuta, the Large Green Plant-hopper. NZ Journal Science & Technology, Vol. 5, 256-263.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Martin, N. A. (2017). INTERESTING INSECTS: Green planthopper - Siphanta acuta. Landcare Research. https://interestinginsects.landcareresearch.co.nz/taxa/f526e904-8e10-460d-885b-03bd4bbbc384
  5. ↑ Burrows, M. (2014). Jumping mechanisms in flatid planthoppers (Hemiptera, Flatidae). Journal of   Experimental Biology, 217 (14), 2590-2600. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.105429
  6. 1 2 3 Harman (2008). Invertebrates and fungi associated with Bridal Creeper, Asparagus asparagoides (Asparagaceae), in New Zealand. Landcare Research.
  7. ↑ John V. da Graca, M. S. (2007). Arthropod Vectors of Exotic Citrus Diseases: A Risk Assessment for the Texas Citrus Industry. Subtropical Plant Science, 59:64-74.

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