Plant hopper fact sheet | Field of Mars EEC

What are plant hoppers?

Plant hoppers, often written as planthoppers, are insects in the superfamily Fulgoroidea within the order Hemiptera. They have six legs, piercing-sucking mouthparts and usually two pairs of wings held like a tent over the body. Many species are small and well camouflaged, blending in with leaves, bark or stems. Their hind legs are adapted for jumping, which helps them escape quickly when disturbed.

A plant hopper.

Where do plant hoppers live?

Plant hoppers live on plants and bark, where they feed on sap and hide from predators. They may be found on leaves, stems, twigs, shrubs and tree trunks. At Field of Mars Reserve, likely habitat includes the shrub layer, wattles and tree trunks within eucalypt forest and other vegetated parts of the reserve. The reserve contains eucalypt forest, gully forest and wetlands, with around 300 plant species supporting many animals. Green plant hoppers are often hard to spot because their body shape helps them blend in with leaves and bark.

What do plant hoppers eat?

Plant hoppers are herbivores. They use their piercing-sucking mouthparts called a rostrum to feed on plant sap. Many sap-feeding insects remove excess sugar as honeydew. In young plant hoppers, sugary secretions can also form waxy tail-like filaments.

Plant hopper nymph during the juvenile stage of the life cycle.

What adaptations do plant hoppers have to help them survive?

Plant hoppers have several adaptations that help them survive. Their shape and colour can make them look like leaves, bark or small thorns, which helps camouflage them from predators. Their hind legs are adapted for jumping, allowing them to spring away quickly if disturbed. They have a piercing-sucking mouthpart called a rostrum that works like a straw for drinking sap. Many nymphs also produce waxy filaments. The Australian Museum explains that these waxy tails can help slow a fall, keep water off the body, or distract predators by making the back end look like the head.

A brown-faced plant hopper uses camouflage to blend in with bark.

Leaf-like wings help green plant hoppers blend in with vegetation.

Why are plant hoppers important?

Plant hoppers are part of bushland food webs. They feed on plants and, in turn, become food for predators such as spiders, birds and other insect-eating animals. Their presence shows how many small animals depend on healthy vegetation layers such as shrubs, wattles and tree bark.

A citrus plant hopper is one example of a Sydney-region flatid plant hopper.

How can you help plant hoppers?

You can help plant hoppers by protecting native vegetation, especially shrubs and wattles, and by avoiding unnecessary pesticide use in bushland and gardens. Plant hoppers need healthy food plants and shelter in the vegetation layers of an ecosystem.

Related fact sheets

More invertebrate fact sheets

• Invertebrate fact sheets – overview

• Insects fact sheet  – plant hoppers are insects with the same basic insect body plan.

• Green lacewing fact sheet – another small insect found on vegetation.

Habitats and ecosystems

• Shrub habitats fact sheet – shows why shrubs are important habitat for many invertebrates.
• Tree habitats fact sheet – bark, branches and canopy provide shelter and feeding sites.
• Eucalypt forest fact sheet– explains the local bushland context.
• Field of Mars Reserve fact sheet – explains the local creeks, wetlands and catchment context.

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