Tylopelta
| Tylopelta | |
|---|---|
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| Tylopelta gibbera | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Clade: | Pancrustacea |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Auchenorrhyncha |
| Family: | Membracidae |
| Tribe: | Membracini |
| Genus: | Tylopelta Fowler, 1894 |
Tylopelta is a genus of treehoppers in the family Membracidae. There are at least four described species in Tylopelta.[1][2][3][4]
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Description
Adults within the genus Tylopelta are relatively small treehoppers, typically measuring between 3 and 4 mm in length. They are characterized by a heavy, dark reddish-brown to blackish corrugated pronotum that lacks elongate thorn-like horns but features a pronounced dorsal hump or median carina. This morphology provides efficient camouflage, allowing them to blend closely with the woody twigs of their habitat.[5]
Ecology and behavior
Tylopelta species are sap-feeders, heavily favoring host plants within the beech family (Fagaceae), particularly oaks (Quercus), and the legume family (Fabaceae), such as ticktrefoils (Desmodium spp.). Females deposit eggs into the stems of woody plants, covering them with a protective waxy secretion. Once the nymphs hatch, they form mutualistic relationships with ants, which protect them from predators in exchange for consuming the sugary honeydew excreted by the treehoppers as a digestive byproduct.[6]
While predominantly Neotropical, the range of the genus Tylopelta extends into North America, with documented regional distribution records spanning across the southeastern United States westward into Texas and Arizona.[7]
Species
These four species belong to the genus Tylopelta:
- Tylopelta appendiculata Fonseca g
- Tylopelta gibbera (Stal, 1869) c g b
- Tylopelta monstrosa Fairmaire c g
- Tylopelta obscura Strümpel 1974 c g
Data sources: i = ITIS,[8] c = Catalogue of Life,[1] g = GBIF,[2] b = Bugguide.net[3]
References
- 1 2 "Browse Tylopelta". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- 1 2 "Tylopelta". GBIF. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- 1 2 "Tylopelta Genus Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- ↑ "Tylopelta Overview". Encyclopedia of Life. Retrieved 2018-04-11.
- ↑ "Tylopelta: Identification, Facts, and Taxonomy". Bugs With Mike. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Tylopelta gibbera Species Information". BugGuide.net. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "Family Membracidae - Texas Treehoppers". Texas Entomology. Retrieved 2026-06-24.
- ↑ "ITIS, Integrated Taxonomic Information System". Retrieved 2018-04-11.
Further reading
- Arnett, Ross H. Jr. (2000). American Insects: A Handbook of the Insects of America North of Mexico (2nd ed.). CRC Press. ISBN 0-8493-0212-9.
- Rothschild, M.J. (2012). "A checklist of the Membracidae of Florida".
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External links
Media related to Tylopelta at Wikimedia Commons