Wetland Leafhoppers
The leafhopper faunas of wetlands are very distinctive, comprising sedge- and grass-feeding species as well as many species that specialize on wetland shrubs such as willow (Salix spp.). Among the largest sedge- and grass-feeding genera are Limotettix, comprising 80 species that occur in the Holarctic region, and Chlorotettix, which includes 115 species and occurs throughout the New World. Species of Draeculacephala (25 New World species) and Xyphon (12 New World species) also are abundant in wetlands, but are apparently able to feed on a wide variety of plants. Willow-feeding leafhopper groups include numerous species of Idiocerus, Macropsis, and Kybos.
The wetland leafhopper faunas of Australia and South Africa are distinctive due to the presence of strange, elongated leafhoppers of the tribe Cephalelini. These leafhoppers apparently feed only on species of the primitive rush family Restioniaceae. Their disjunct distribution suggests that they arose prior to the separation of Gondwana during the Mesozoic. The picture below shows two adults and a nymph (immature) of a species of Cephalelini from Australia.
