Thursday, September 26, 2013

Yet Another Palm Planthopper Sighting at Home

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The first time I featured these fascinating creatures in our garden was
in February 2010. At the time I was wondering if it was a cicada, but no,
the authority in the field of identification of critters, Bugman, corrected me:


Dear Ridou Ridou,

This appears to be a Palm Planthopper, Magia subocellata,
one of the Lophopid Planthoppers in the family Lophopidae.  
The Planthoppers are related to the Cicadas, hence your confusion.



Since then, every time I encounter one of these hoppers,
I get a thrill, since it means our Lophopidae population is here to stay,
in our palm grove (they were introduced in New South Wales only recently,
at Sydney's Royal Botanical Gardens's palm grove). Normally they
are tropical species.







































































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