psyllidhipster's Journal

Philotheria is a diverse genus of Dictyopharid planthoppers which are generally brown with brown veins, the transverse veins often darker with the pigment bleeding into the adjacent areas of the membrane, and with the head produced beyond the eyes a variable amount. The relative length of the head is one of the most useful characters for diagnosing individual species. In South Africa, Philotheria natalensis is the common short-headed member of the genus, and can be identified by having the head produced beyond the eyes a distance approximately equal to 1.2x the length of an eye.

Images of pinned specimens from the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin:

Original description in Stål C. 1855 - Hemiptera fran Kafferlandet. Ofversigt af Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar. Stockholm 12:89-100 [91].
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/54201#page/103/mode/1up

Translated from Latin:
Dirty yellow; head triangularly produced before the eyes, three times longer than the intraocular width; the hemelytra of the abdomen almost twice as long, hyaline white, the apex of the nerves towards the stigmatic spot brown, the femora are brown-spotted. Length: 8mm. Natal.

Supplementary description in Synave H. 1965 - Dictyopharidae. Exploration du Parc National Garamba. Mission H. de Saeger (1949-1952) 47: 1-63.
https://cd.chm-cbd.net/archives_rdc/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-la-garamba/mission-h-de-saeger-1954-1968/1965-fascicule-47-dictyopharidae-homoptera-fulgoroidea/fasc47-synave1965_complet.pdf

Translated from French:
This species, unlike those above, is characterized by a very short cephalic extension (see fig. 32). Indeed, the latter exceeds the front edge of the eyes by a length barely greater than that of an eye (55: 47). The total length of the vertex and its extension is 3 times the width of the vertex between the eyes (87:27). The lateral edges of the head protuberance are streamlined and slightly raised, parallel from the apex to the narrowing in front of the eyes. On the elytra (see fig. 42), bifurcation of M before that of Sc + R; bifurcation CL1 Cl2 on the middle of the clavus; the bifurcations of the longitudinal veins as well as the transverse ones are clouded with dark brown. Aedeagus, see fig. 4. Total length: approx. 10mm.

Images of Philotheria natalensis on iNat:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?taxon_id=1465842

Obedas proboscideus is a small, unusual planthopper with coriaceous wings and a uniquely shaped head. The genus was originally described from East Africa; observations of this species near Pretoria either represent a range expansion or a second, undescribed member of the genus. It appears to be very rare.

Obedas is closely related to the genera Durium and  Bananellodes. All three of these genera have the tegmina coriaceous with 4 main longitudinal veins and minimal crossveins, and with the claval suture present; Obedas can be distinguished by the form of the head in combination with the fourth vein bifurcating before the apex of the clavus.

Original description: Jacobi A. 1910 - 12 Hemiptera. 7 Homoptera. Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der schwedischen Zoologischen Expedition nach dem Kilimandjaro, dem Meru und den umgebenden Massaissteppen Deutsch-Ostafrikas 1905-1906. Schwedische Akademie der Wissenschaften 1910: 97-136.
https://flow.hemiptera-databases.org/flow/?page=explorer&db=flow&lang=en&card=publication&id=793

Original description of genus and species translated from German:
Body compressed dorsoventrally. Head long, wedge-shaped, edges of vertex raised, cutting; frons with three continuous keels, clypeus at the base with weak lateral carinae. Pronotum posteriorly cut out at a flat angle, with strip-shaped lateral carinae, separated from the shoulder lobes by two weak carinae. Mesonotum with three distinct carinae. Front and middle legs slightly widened, hind legs with three spines. Tegmina leathery, the apical part shortened, with simple, strongly raised longitudinal veins and clear clavus suture. Wings semi-vestigial, narrow, without anal lobes.

Light brown. The upper side is washed out with brown spots, the underside, especially the legs, is speckled with black and brown. Veins of the tegmina spotted black in places, often one to three irregular dark transverse bands. Wings hyaline. Vertex 2.5 times as long as wide between the edges, equal to the tip moderately narrowed, the surface very deepened; in profile the head is gently curved; frons and clypeus significantly wider than at the upturned base with a flat surface: eyes shortened at the back; Ocelli missing; clypeus with sharp central carina, labrum humped. Pronotum elliptical in the middle, elongated, depressed next to the central carina. Lateral carinae of the mesonotum are united at the very front, the surface enclosed by them is almost flat. Tegmina slightly arched, almost the same width, the costal edge slightly indented in the middle, the stalk of the clavus veins extends to the tip of the clavus. Total length 5-6 mm. Kilimandjaro: Kibonoto, cultural zone; Meru, rainforest, 3,000 m., Sept., Nov., Jan.

Supplementary description and key in Synave H. 1957 - Issidae (Homoptera-Fulgoroidea). Exploration du Parc National Upemba. Mission G. F. de Witte (1946-49) 43: 1-78.
https://cd.chm-cbd.net/archives_rdc/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-lupemba/mission-g-f-de-witte/1957-fascicule-43-issidae-homoptera-fulgoroidea-meenoplidae-homoptera/fascicule43-synave-1957_complet.pdf

Observations on iNaturalist:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=1464539

This post is available as a better formatted, printer-friendly PDF here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ONxxorrMch-aMp9aICYCd4CM2cNNGJ8J/view?usp=drivesdk
Viewing in PDF format is recommended and includes a list of species, synonyms, and distribution data for all African species

Meenoplidae is a small and scarcely encountered family of old world planthoppers. Over one hundred species have been described worldwide, with at least 50 described species in 5 genera from continental Africa. Adult Meenoplids are small insects which generally hold their wings vertically over their bodies and with one or both of the claval veins heavily granulated.

Anigrus (photo by Felix Riegel CC-BY-NC).

Bibliography

Fennah R. G. 1958 Fulgoroidea from West Africa. Bulletin de l'Institut Français Afrique Noire. (Ser. A) 20: 460-538.

Linnavuori R. E. 1973 Hemiptera of the Sudan, with remarks on some species of the adjacent countries. 2. Homoptera Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae, Cercopidae, Machaerotidae, Membracidae and Fulgoroidea. (Zoological contribution from the Finnish expeditions to the Sudan No. 33). Notulae Entomologicae 53(3): 65-137.
https://helda.helsinki.fi/items/495ebf1e-37aa-43dd-afd0-8a0fe0d0a29b

Metcalf Z. P. 1945 Part 6. Meenoplidae. In: Metcalf Z. P. 1954 General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicule IV, North Carolina State College, Raleigh (United States of America). p. 219-238.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49407429#page/225/mode/1up

Synave, H. 1957a Les Meenoplidae de Madagascar (Hemiptera-Homoptera). Naturaliste Malgache Tananarive 9: 141-145.
http://madadoc.irenala.edu.mg/documents/8904_les%20meenoplidae.pdf

Synave H. 1957b1. Meenoplidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Exploration du Parc National Albert. Mission G. F. de Witte (1933-35) 90(2): 7-30. http://www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-national-park-albert/exploration-national-park-albert-first-series/mission-g.-f.-de-witte-1933-1935/1957-fascicule-90-issidae-meenoplidae-membracidae

Synave H. 1957c 2 Meenoplidae. Exploration du Parc National Upemba. Mission G. F. de Witte (1946-49) 43: 79-81. http://www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-lupemba/mission-g-f-de-witte/1957-fascicule-43-issidae-homoptera-fulgoroidea-meenoplidae-homoptera/fascicule43-synave-1957meenoplidae-cercopidae79-135.pdf

Synave H. 1961 Meenoplidae (Homoptera Fulgoroidea). Exploration du Parc National de la Garamba. Mission H. de Saeger (1949-1952) 20: 1-37. www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-la-garamba/mission-h-de-saeger-1954-1968/1961-fascicule-20-meenoplidae-fulgoridae-sphecidae.

Synave H. 1969 - Some African Fulgoroidea in the United States National Museum. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 71, 174-190. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/55015#page/192/mode/1up

Synave H. 1971 Contribution à la connaissance des Fulgorides du Nigeria (Homoptera) (recoltes J. T. Medler). Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 47: 1-34.

Synave H. 1972 Liste du materiel typique conservé dans les collections entomologiques de I'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. Homoptera 4-10 Meenoplidae, Kinnaridae, Dictyopharidae, Fulgoridae, Achilidae, Tropiduchidae et Nogodinidae. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 48: 1-28
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletins-de-linstitut-royal-des-sciences-naturelles-de-belgique-entomologie/48-1972

Van Stalle J. 1982 Scientific results of the Belgian Mount-Cameroon expedition (February-April 1981). III. Fam. Cixiidae, Derbidae, Meenoplidae, Dictyopharidae, Achilidae, Lophopidae and Tettigometridae (Homoptera Fulgoroidea). Bulletin du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique. Bruxelles 54(6): 1-18.
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletins-de-linstitut-royal-des-sciences-naturelles-de-belgique-entomologie/54-1982-1/

Wilson M. R. 1988 Afronisia, a new african genus of meenoplidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Great Basin Naturalist 324-334. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7909160#page/339/mode/1up

Photo credits

Felix Riegel
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/felix_riegel

Johan Heyns
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/johanheyns

This post is available as a better formatted, printer-friendly PDF here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ONxxorrMch-aMp9aICYCd4CM2cNNGJ8J/view?usp=drivesdk
Viewing in PDF format is recommended and includes a list of species, synonyms, and distribution data for all African species

Meenoplidae is a small and scarcely encountered family of old world planthoppers. Over one hundred species have been described worldwide, with at least 50 described species in 5 genera from continental Africa. Adult Meenoplids are small insects which generally hold their wings vertically over their bodies and with one or both of the claval veins heavily granulated.

Anigrus (photo by Felix Riegel CC-BY-NC).

Bibliography

Fennah R. G. 1958 Fulgoroidea from West Africa. Bulletin de l'Institut Français Afrique Noire. (Ser. A) 20: 460-538.

Linnavuori R. E. 1973 Hemiptera of the Sudan, with remarks on some species of the adjacent countries. 2. Homoptera Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae, Cercopidae, Machaerotidae, Membracidae and Fulgoroidea. (Zoological contribution from the Finnish expeditions to the Sudan No. 33). Notulae Entomologicae 53(3): 65-137.
https://helda.helsinki.fi/items/495ebf1e-37aa-43dd-afd0-8a0fe0d0a29b

Metcalf Z. P. 1945 Part 6. Meenoplidae. In: Metcalf Z. P. 1954 General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicule IV, North Carolina State College, Raleigh (United States of America). p. 219-238.
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/49407429#page/225/mode/1up

Synave, H. 1957a Les Meenoplidae de Madagascar (Hemiptera-Homoptera). Naturaliste Malgache Tananarive 9: 141-145.
http://madadoc.irenala.edu.mg/documents/8904_les%20meenoplidae.pdf

Synave H. 1957b1. Meenoplidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Exploration du Parc National Albert. Mission G. F. de Witte (1933-35) 90(2): 7-30. http://www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-national-park-albert/exploration-national-park-albert-first-series/mission-g.-f.-de-witte-1933-1935/1957-fascicule-90-issidae-meenoplidae-membracidae

Synave H. 1957c 2 Meenoplidae. Exploration du Parc National Upemba. Mission G. F. de Witte (1946-49) 43: 79-81. http://www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-lupemba/mission-g-f-de-witte/1957-fascicule-43-issidae-homoptera-fulgoroidea-meenoplidae-homoptera/fascicule43-synave-1957meenoplidae-cercopidae79-135.pdf

Synave H. 1961 Meenoplidae (Homoptera Fulgoroidea). Exploration du Parc National de la Garamba. Mission H. de Saeger (1949-1952) 20: 1-37. www.apncb.be/archives/publications/exploration-parc-national-de-la-garamba/mission-h-de-saeger-1954-1968/1961-fascicule-20-meenoplidae-fulgoridae-sphecidae.

Synave H. 1969 - Some African Fulgoroidea in the United States National Museum. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 71, 174-190. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/55015#page/192/mode/1up

Synave H. 1971 Contribution à la connaissance des Fulgorides du Nigeria (Homoptera) (recoltes J. T. Medler). Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 47: 1-34.

Synave H. 1972 Liste du materiel typique conservé dans les collections entomologiques de I'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique. Homoptera 4-10 Meenoplidae, Kinnaridae, Dictyopharidae, Fulgoridae, Achilidae, Tropiduchidae et Nogodinidae. Bulletin de l'Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique 48: 1-28
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletins-de-linstitut-royal-des-sciences-naturelles-de-belgique-entomologie/48-1972

Van Stalle J. 1982 Scientific results of the Belgian Mount-Cameroon expedition (February-April 1981). III. Fam. Cixiidae, Derbidae, Meenoplidae, Dictyopharidae, Achilidae, Lophopidae and Tettigometridae (Homoptera Fulgoroidea). Bulletin du Musée Royal d'Histoire Naturelle de Belgique. Bruxelles 54(6): 1-18.
https://biblio.naturalsciences.be/rbins-publications/bulletins-de-linstitut-royal-des-sciences-naturelles-de-belgique-entomologie/54-1982-1/

Wilson M. R. 1988 Afronisia, a new african genus of meenoplidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Great Basin Naturalist 324-334. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/7909160#page/339/mode/1up

Photo credits

Felix Riegel
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/felix_riegel

Johan Heyns
https://www.inaturalist.org/people/johanheyns

Hemitriecphora is a genus of striking spittlebugs which are usually black with well-defined yellow spots or streaks on the forewings. 15 species are distributed mostly across tropical Africa, with 2 species extending into southeastern Africa.

Hemitriecphora strongii is a fairly distinctive species, and the typical form is unlikely to be confused with anything else; the pronotum and the basal half of the forewings are largely yellow, the apical half black with a large yellow spot. However, the species may occasionally have much reduced yellow coloration.

Original description (translated from Latin):
Yellow, head and scutellum black, elytra to the sides, posteriorly variegated in black and orange. Head black. Thorax anteriorly rounded, posteriorly emarginate. Scutellum black. Elytra anteriorly orange, posteriorly black, decorated with two oval yellow spots. The feet are black, the spices of hind tibiae with spines
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/12257160#page/78/mode/1up

Observations on iNaturalist:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&taxon_id=1533547

The genus Rhinaulax is easily identified among all other African Cercopidae by the very long antennae, segment 3 about three times longer than segment 2.
Rhinaulax sericans should differ from the more common R. analis in the general dark coloration, the pubescence, and the the relatively longer head.

Translated description from Stål 1866:
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/35350#page/281/mode/1up
Black, pubescent, punctate; metasthetium [the ventral side of the metathorax = metasternum] posteriorly, hind coxae almost entirely and tegmina testaceous; the intraocular part of the head is twice as wide as it is long. On the front, an oblong, wide impression, extended from the base beyond the middle, furrowed in the middle, lined.

Observations in inat:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/160929232
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34010525
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34293254
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/34058034

Locris sanguinipes is a generally black and pubescent cercopid with red legs; the costal and apical margins of the forewings may also occasionally be red.

Original description:
Black: head and chest shagreened, dull: head above depressed: face convex, very prominent; keel and cross ridges slight: mouth red, with a black tip: abdomen pitchy, red at the base and at the tip: legs red; thighs partly pitchy: fore-wings dark brown; cross-veins very few, occupying only the tips of the wings: hind-wings grayish, brown at the base. Length of the body 2 lines; of the wings 6 lines.
Walker, F., 1851b. List of the specimens of homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. British Museum, London. Part III: (4)
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/item/132910#page/48/mode/1up

Observation on inat:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/192319538

Illustration in:
Distant, W.L. 1911. Insecta Transvaaliensia: A Contribution to a Knowledge of the Entomology of South Africa. Table 20, figure 16.