Family Ricaniidae
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
Economic Status: Ricaniid planthoppers damage plants primarily through weight of numbers and production of large quantities of sugary "honeydew". Honeydew encourages the development of sooty moulds which cover leaves and fruit causing reduction in photosynthetic capacity of the leaves and unsightly appearance of fruit. While some fruit, e.g. passionfruit, can be cleaned prior to sale, other fruits, particularly kiwifruit (Chinese gooseberry, Actinidia chinesis), cannot be cleaned due to the texture of the skin. Ricaniids are not known to transmit plant pathogens.
Notes: There are in 31 species of Ricaniidae in 10 genera in Australia. The identities of some species and their generic placements require further taxonomic investigation.
Click on the images below to get more information about the species.
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Asian planthopper |
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| The passionvine hopper |
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