Issidae Spinola, 1839
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Issidae is a family of planthoppers described by Spinola in 1839, belonging to the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha superfamily Fulgoroidea.
Species of this family are present throughout the Northern Hemisphere.
Issidae are small insects generally with a stocky body, as the wings mainly develop in width. Basic body coloration is not striking, usually shows brownish colors. The head has two ocelli. The forewings have strong pronounced ribs. They wrap the abdomen when the insect is at rest. The family includes approximately 1000 species with 215 genera, but the systematics of Issidae remains uncertain, with some of the subfamilies having been recently removed to a separate family, Caliscelidae.
In 2013, scientists described a biologically unique set of mechanical gears in an Issus nymph, though identical structures are known in most planthoppers, and were known for decades[1] before the function of the gears was discovered[2]
List of subfamilies[edit]
The family consists of the following subfamilies:
- Hemisphaeriinae Melichar, 1906
- Issinae Spinola, 1839
- Tonginae Kirkaldy, 1907
- Trienopinae Fennah, 1954
References[edit]
- ^ K. Sander. 1957. Bau und Funktion des Sprungapparates von Pyrilla perpusilla WALKER (Homoptera - Fulgoridae). Zool. Jb. Jena (Anat.) 75, 383–388
- ^ Burrows, Malcolm; Sutton, Gregory (2013-09-13), "Interacting gears synchronize propulsive leg movements in a jumping insect", Science 341 (6151): 1254-1256, doi:10.1126/science.1240284, lay summary – ScienceNews.org
- W. E. Holzinger, I. Kammerlander, H. Nickel: The Auchenorrhyncha of Central Europe - Die Zikaden Mitteleuropas. Volume 1: Fulgoromorpha, Cicadomorpha excl. Cicadellidae. - Brill, Leiden 2003
- Stephen W. Wilson – Keys to the families of Fulgoromorpha with emphasis on planthoppers of potential importance in the Southern United States -Florida Entomologist 88(4) Fcla.edu
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| Rights holder/Author | Wikipedia |
| Source | http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Issidae&oldid=627617755 |
Legs synchronize during jumps: planthoppers
Hind legs of planthoppers produce powerful synchronized jumps thanks to a mechanical linkage.
"The hind legs of Issus (Hemiptera, Issidae) move in the same plane underneath the body, an arrangement that means they must also move synchronously to power jumping. Moreover, they move so quickly that energy must be stored before a jump and then released suddenly. High speed imaging and analysis of the mechanicsof the proximal joints of the hind legs show that mechanicalmechanisms ensure both synchrony of movements and energy storage…Synchrony is achieved by mechanical interactionsbetween small protrusions from each trochantera…which touch at the midline when the legs are cocked beforea jump. In dead Issus, a depression force applied to a cockedhind leg, or to the tendon of its trochanteral depressor musclecauses a simultaneous depression of both hind legs. The protrusionof the hind leg that moves first nudges the other hind leg sothat both move synchronously. Contractions of the trochanteraldepressor muscles that precede a jump bend the metathoracicpleural arches of the internal skeleton. Large areas of thesebow-shaped structures fluoresce bright blue in ultraviolet light,and the intensity of this fluorescence depends on the pH ofthe bathing saline. These are key signatures of the rubber-likeprotein resilin. The remainder of a pleural arch consists ofstiff cuticle. Bending these composite structures stores energyand their recoil powers jumping." (Burrows 2009:469)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Burrows M. 2009. Energy storage and synchronisation of hind leg movements during jumping in planthopper insects (Hemiptera, Issidae). Journal of Experimental Biology. 213: 469-478.
| License | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/ |
| Rights holder/Author | (c) 2008-2009 The Biomimicry Institute |
| Source | http://www.asknature.org/strategy/fceccfd6e52bf02ec9ff7191115a27a5 |
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:110
Specimens with Sequences:62
Specimens with Barcodes:45
Species:35
Species With Barcodes:29
Public Records:30
Public Species:20
Public BINs:20
Collection Sites: world map showing specimen collection locations for Issidae