Homework Answers
Windowbox gardens
Blog

Hemiptera (bugs) cicadas, leaf hoppers, frog hoppers, etc.

Hemiptera are an order in the phylum Uniramia, Hexapoda or Insecta (depending on which book you read), for more pages on this phylum click the menu below left.
home Animal kingdon Taxonomy Geological table definitions
 
Uniramia
--Centipedes
--Hexapoda 1 (insects)
--Hexapoda 2 (insects)
--Hexapoda 3 (insects)
--Identification to order level
--Insect orders
----Lepidoptera (butterflies, moths)
----Ephemeroptera (mayflies)
----Hemiptera (bugs, cicadas)
----Hymenoptera (bees, ants, wasps & saw flies)
------Bumblebees
----Coleoptera (beetles)
----Dictyoptera (mantids, cockroaches)
----Diptera (true flies)
----Neuroptera (lacewings, ant lions)
----Orthoptera (crickets, locusts)
----Thysanura (bristletails, silver fish)
----Strepsiptera (stylops)
----Thysanoptera (thrips)
----Odonata (dragonflies, damselflies)
----Trichoptera (caddis flies)
----Siphonaptera (fleas)
----Isoptera (termites)
----Phasmida (stick & leaf insects)
----Dermaptera (earwigs)
----Anoplura/siphunculata (sucking lice)
----Mallophaga (biting lice, bird lice)
----Psocoptera (book, bark, dust lice)
----Mecoptera (scorpion flies)
----Collembola (springtail)
----Embioptera (web spinners)
----Plecoptera (stone flies)
----Diplura (bristletails)
----Protura
----Zoraptera

Fast facts about Hemiptera (true bugs)
Have piercing mouthparts, called a rostrum which contains 2 pairs of stylets. The outer pair have serrated edges for piercing, the inner pair form a canal for food to pass up and saliva to pass down. The tip pf the rostrum has receptor cells to assess the suitability of the food source.
Mouthparts usually fold under the body like a clasp knife.
Adults usually have two pairs of wings, the front pair may be partially hardened.
The plant feeders can be serious agricultural pests as they can transmit viral diseases.
Divided into two sub-orders; Heteroptera and Homoptera.
Cuckoo spit is made by a Homopteran bug.
Over 82 000 species worldwide, over 7 000 in Europe, 1 650 in British Isles.

Stenocranus minutus adult, a brown leafhopper

The Hemiptera are divided into 2 sub orders.

Heteroptera

Homoptera
Wings divided into 2 parts, one part being leathery. Includes shield bugs, bedbugs, water striders, pond skaters. Wings entirely membranous or hardened. Includes cicadas, leafhoppers, froghoppers, aphids.
All homoptera are plant feeders.

Cuckoo spit, spittlebug

Cuckoo-spit is formed by the young of Cercopis sp. and Philaenus spumarius (Aphrophoridae family), the insect is also known as the spittlebug. The female lays eggs in the crevices of dead plant stems in October or November. The eggs hatch in the spring. The nymph climbs the stem of a plant and starts to suck sap. The bug secretes fluid from its rear end and turns this into foam by blowing air out of its hind spiracles (paired air holes running down the sides of the insect's body). The foam protects the young insect and stops it from drying out. The adult appears from June - November. They are brown, 5 - 7 mm long, and common on hawthorn and sorrel.

Leafhoppers

Delphicidae family. 70 British species. On the left is Stenocranus minutus, a brown leafhopper.

 

Cicadidae family

There are around 1500 species of cicada world wide, but only one species in Britain. Below right is a cicada nymph, and below is the adult. Cicadas are easily recognised by their large size, most adults being at least 15 mm long. Young cicadas live in the soil for many years sucking the sap from plant roots. So the nymphs have very powerful forelegs to allow them to dig through the soil, see the drawing below. The adults have two pairs of membranous wings which are held roof-wise over the body. The front pair being much larger than the rear pair. Adult males can make a very loud noise when they vibrate membranes in a pair of organs, called tymbals, on their lower abdomen. They do this to attract a mate. This is called stridulation. the noise can be heard up to 1 km away.

Cicada adult

Cicada emerging from final nymphal stage

cicada nymph
above a cicada nymph, note the front legs adapted for digging

After mating the female lays her eggs in twigs. The eggs hatch and the nymphs drop to the ground and dig into the soil. This is where they will spend most of their life sucking sap from roots. The length of time spent as a nymph depends on the species, but it is usually a prime number, e.g. 7, 13, 17. In North America the 17 year cicada is Magicicada septendecim, and the 13 year is Magicicada cassisii or cassini.

On the left is a photograph sent to me by a visitor to the site. It shows an adult cicada emerging from the exoskeleton of its final nymph stage. At the end of the final nymph stage it digs out of the soil to reach the surface. When the adult emerges the wings and outer surfaces are soft and crumpled. Blood pumped through the wings veins will expand the wings to their full extent, and the air will dry and harden the adult exoskeleton. As it dries the final colouration of the insect will emerge.

 

small logo (C) Copyright 1997 - 2010