Categories

An Australian Cicada?
February 3, 2010
Hello Bugman,
I’ve just published a blog post on a cicada (?) I found in our garden. I don’t seem to be able to identify it, so I’m in need of help, please.
The post is at theridoureport.blogspot.com
There’re quite a few posts on bugs and critters I’ve found in our garden and inside – you can find all of them, if you click on the label ‘bugs’. Thanks in advance.
Ridou Ridou
Sydney, Australia

Palm Planthopper

Dear Ridou Ridou,
This appears to be a Palm Planthopper, Magia subocellata, one of the Lophopid Planthoppers in the family Lophopidae.  The Planthoppers are related to the Cicadas, hence your confusion.  We identified your Palm Planthopper on the Brisbane Insect Page.  Flickr has a nice image that shows the colors well, but the dead mounted specimens on the New South Wales Government website have lost their lovely blue and green coloration.

Palm Planthopper

Well done, I’m impressed!  Ridou Ridou

P.S.  We would love some of those lovely profile shots from your blog to post on our site.

Palm Planthopper

Hi Daniel, here are the photos…  Ridou Ridou

Palm Planthopper

PS. I contacted Dr Fletcher from Orange Agricultural Institute about the Planthopper, and as a consequence he added my photo of it to their website:
“Lovely pictures of Magia subocellata (Family Lophopidae). This species (and one other species of Magia) is native to North Queensland. It was found a couple of years ago in the tropical palm collection at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Sydney and may well have spread to your area from there.”
http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/species/magiasub.html
Ridou Ridou
Sydney, Australia

Related Posts

• 
  (01/04/2010)
  Immature Palm Planthopper (we believe) f...
• 
  (02/05/2010)
  Giant Scale Insect from Australia, not C...
• 
  (03/13/2010)
  Planthopper Nymph from Australia
• 
  (01/12/2012)
  Unknown Derbid Planthopper from Australi...