Flatidae are a family of fulgoroid planthoppers.[1] They are cosmopolitan in distribution and are distinguished from others in the superfamily by a combination of characters. Like all other planthoppers, they suck phloem sap of plants. Some species are known to communicate with vibrations through the plant stems.[2] Communication may be with mates, or with ants that tend the nymphs, protecting them and gathering honeydew secretions.[3] Adults of some species have brightly coloured forewings which are tougher and known as tegmina unlike the membranous hindwings which are used for flight. Although a few can be identified by their coloration, most species requires dissection and examination under a microscope with access to literature on already described species.[4]
There are two subfamilies within the family. In the subfamily Flatinae, the body of adults is flattened laterally and the tegmina are tent-like. In the Flatoidinae, the body is not laterally compressed and the tegmina are not as tent-like and sometimes held horizontally. The wing venation is distinctive in that the veins in the anal region are nodose, and the costal area has numerous cross veins.[5] The antennae are small and the first segment is collar-like and small. The second segment is longer and ends in a bulge and a flagellum arises from it. They have two ocelli. Nymphs have a tail of waxy filaments.
Genera within the family Flatidae include:[6][7]
Auth.: Spinola, 1839; selected genera:
Auth.: Melichar, 1901
 Media related to Flatidae at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Flatidae", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
| Jamella australiae |
Flatidae are a family of fulgoroid planthoppers.[1] They are cosmopolitan in distribution and are distinguished from others in the superfamily by a combination of characters. Like all other planthoppers, they suck phloem sap of plants. Some species are known to communicate with vibrations through the plant stems.[2] Communication may be with mates, or with ants that tend the nymphs, protecting them and gathering honeydew secretions.[3] Adults of some species have brightly coloured forewings which are tougher and known as tegmina unlike the membranous hindwings which are used for flight. Although a few can be identified by their coloration, most species requires dissection and examination under a microscope with access to literature on already described species.[4]
There are two subfamilies within the family. In the subfamily Flatinae, the body of adults is flattened laterally and the tegmina are tent-like. In the Flatoidinae, the body is not laterally compressed and the tegmina are not as tent-like and sometimes held horizontally. The wing venation is distinctive in that the veins in the anal region are nodose, and the costal area has numerous cross veins.[5] The antennae are small and the first segment is collar-like and small. The second segment is longer and ends in a bulge and a flagellum arises from it. They have two ocelli. Nymphs have a tail of waxy filaments.
Genera within the family Flatidae include:[6][7]
Auth.: Spinola, 1839; selected genera:
Auth.: Melichar, 1901
 Media related to Flatidae at Wikimedia Commons| Authority control databases: National |
|---|
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Flatidae", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0. Content may have been omitted from the original, but no content has been changed or extended.
