Treehoppers Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, and Membracidae (Hemiptera)

Introduction

TREEHOPPERS provides online access to unique bibliographic and taxonomic resources for retrieving information on the insect families Aetalionidae, Melizoderidae, and Membracidae, collectively known as treehoppers. The dazzling array of treehopper body shapes and behaviors invite us to imagine, explore, question, and discover. The mission of the TREEHOPPERS website and database is to support these lofty pursuits among students, teachers, researchers, and the general public.

Overview of Treehoppers

Treehoppers make up a group of more than 3500 described species of plant-feeding insects in the order Hemiptera. Of the three treehopper families, Membracidae is by far the most diverse (428 genera and more than 3450 species), followed by Aetalionidae (6 genera, 42 species), and Melizoderidae (2 genera, 8 species). Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest treehoppers form a monophyletic lineage, as yet unnamed, related to leafhoppers, within the superfamily Membracoidea. Treehoppers are found in all major zoogeographic regions of the world. Europe has relatively few species, and Madagascar and New Zealand have no known indigenous species.

Supported by the National Science Foundation, NCSU Insect Museum, and East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania