Leafhopper: Kybos species

26 Thursday Sep 2024

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British cicadellidae, British leafhoppers, Cicadellidae, Kybos, Kybos species, leafhoppers

The checklist of Auchenorrhyncha on the British Bugs website includes eight species from the Kybos genus of Cicadellidae, all of which appear to be indistinguishable from each other unless through dissection. As the website specifies ‘The host-plant is a useful guide to identification, but is not sufficient in itself.’

240926 kybos sp (1)

Still, I think my indeterminable leafhoppers are very attractive and worth this brief post. The Kybos in my first image was found on Sycamore in Cardiff’s Cathays Cemetery on 15 August, the second on Alder in nearby Heath Park on 23 July.

240926 kybos sp (2)

Leafhopper: Eupteryx aurata

19 Thursday Sep 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects

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British cicadellidae, British leafhoppers, Cicadellidae, Eupteryx aurata, leafhoppers, Potato leafhopper

As these tiny leafhoppers (just 3.5-4.5mm in length) are most often found living amongst brambles and nettles, I’m not sure why their common name is Potato leafhopper. I found the two shown below on Prickly lettuce so, presumably, they browse widely on a variety of plant species.

240919 Eupteryx aurata (1)

Their scientific name is Eupteryx aurata and, though all the other Eupteryx species are strongly marked, the dark spot patterns and what the British Bugs website describes as the ‘pale hour-glass on the top of the forewings’ are distinctive. These leafhoppers are common and can be found from May through to November.

240919 Eupteryx aurata (2)

Leafhopper: Acericerus species

12 Thursday Sep 2024

Posted by sconzani in insects

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Acericerus nymphs, Acericerus species, British cicadellidae, British leafhoppers, Cicadellidae, leafhoppers

I’ve been leaf-bothering a few times recently at Cardiff’s Cathays Cemetery in an attempt to re-find the species of leafhopper (Zyginella pulchra) that I found ‘new to Wales’ back in 2016 (First recorded sighting in Wales!, September 2016). I’ve had no luck with that so far – I’m planning more visits, but I have found a few other nice leafhoppers at the cemetery and in nearby Heath Park (those leafhoppers will feature in future blogs).

240912 Acericerus sp (1)

Though I thought its markings quite distinctive, today’s handsome leafhopper can only be identified to species, one of the Acericerus species to be precise. According to the Cicadellidae species list on the British Bugs website, there are three possibilities: Acericerus heydenii (British Bugs has no page dedicated to this species but I found it on Naturespot), A. ribauti and A. vittifrons. To be honest, none of these look anything like my photos (mine were identified as Acericerus species by the national records verifier), so I assume the two I found were nymphs and thus were sporting the colouration and patterning of immature specimens. Leafhoppers can be tricky, and I obviously need to search further.

240912 Acericerus sp (2)

A new Cicadellidae

05 Wednesday Jul 2017

Posted by sconzani in insects, nature

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British bugs, bugs, Cicadellidae, Evacanthus interruptus, leafhoppers

I had to chuckle when the British Bugs website described this little bug, which is no more than 6mm long, as ‘large’ but, compared to others in the Cicadellidae family – i.e. the leafhoppers – it’s a giant. The website also says it’s a common species but this was the first I’d seen so I obviously haven’t been looking closely enough.

170705 Evacanthus Interruptus (1)

This is Evacanthus interruptus (a female, I believe, as her wings are shorter than the length of her abdomen). They favour tall herbaceous vegetation in meadows, scrubby areas and woodlands, and can be seen between June and October. I’ll be on the look out for more.