Delphacidae is a large family of planthoppers that includes approximately 430 genera and around 2,230 species. However, many species remain undescribed and are not “known to science.” They are found everywhere, except Antarctica, including oceanic islands, with a diverse fauna in higher latitudes (Alaska has at least 16 species, the Yukon has 29; Wilson 1988, 1992). Delphacids primarily feed on graminoids (grasses, sedges, and rushes), particularly in wet environments, and have a strong association with grassland habitats. In Hawaii, endemic delphacids have adapted to many dicot species. In North America, north of Mexico, Delphacidae is the most diverse family of planthoppers, with about 340 species (across 4 subfamilies and 5 tribes), compared to 180 species of Cixiidae. Notable pest species in agroecosystems globally include Nilaparvata lugens (the brown planthopper), Sogatella furcifera (the white-backed planthopper), and Laodelphax striatellus (the small brown planthopper). Fortunately, these species are absent in North America. However, some pest species found north of Mexico include Peregrinus maidis (the corn planthopper), Perkinsiella saccharicida (the sugarcane planthopper), and Tagosodes orizicolus (the rice delphacid).
Contents
(Left to right) Pissonotus quadripustulatus (Delphacinae, Delphacini); Lamaxa occidentalis (Delphacinae, Tropidocephalini); Ugyops stigmata (Asiracinae: Ugyopini).
Stobaera tricarinata
The distribution of Delphacidae from TaxonPages World Auchenorrhyncha Database
What are Delphacids?
The Delphacidae are planthoppers (Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha [the ‘true hoppers’], infraorder Fulgoromorpha). Within the Fulgoromorpha, delphacids were recently placed in the superfamily Delphacoidea, which includes most prominently the Cixiidae and Delphacidae. Most delphacids range from 2 to 4 mm in size, though some can be as small as 1.5 mm or as large as 10 mm. They can be easily distinguished from other planthoppers and similar insect families (such as other planthopper families or cicadomorphs) by the presence of a large, movable spur called the ‘calcar’ (or posttibial spur) at the apex of their hind tibiae, which is unique to the family.
The calcar of Syndelphax alexanderi.
Classification and genera of the New World
Delphacid classification synopsis and list of world genera (includes links to delphacid genus-pages).
A synopsis of the New World genera is here.
Below are a list of new World genera (with links to pages on each genus), including genera putatively in the New World (i.e., reported or misplaced nomenclaturally).
Family Delphacidae
Subfamily Asiracinae
Tribe Asiracini – Asiraca, Copicerus
Tribe Idiosystatini – Idiosemus, Idiosystatus,Pentagramma
Tribe Neopunanini – Neopunana
Tribe Platysystatini – Equasystatus, Pentasteira, Pichinchana, Platysystatus
Tribe Tetrasteirini – Tetrasteira
Tribe Ugyopini – Canyra, Ugyops
Subfamily Plesiodelphacinae – Burnilia, Plesiodelphax
Subfamily Kelisiinae – Kelisia
Subfamily Stenocraninae – Embolophora, Frameus, Kelisicranus, Obtusicranus, Stenocranus, Tanycranus
Subfamily Delphacinae
Tribe Saccharosydnini – Lacertinella (= Lacertina), Neomalaxa, Pseudomacrocorupha, Saccharosydne
Tribe Tropidocephalini – Columbiana, Columbisoga, Epeurysa, Lamaxa, Macrocorupha, Malaxa, Procidelphax, Xalama
Tribe Delphacini – Abbrosoga, Achorotile, Aethodelphax, Akemetopon, Ampliphax, Anchidelphax, Astatometopon, Athenidelphax, Bakerella, Bostaera, Caenodelphax, Calbodus,Calkinodelphax,Chionomus, Chloriona, Conomelus, Criomorphus, Delphacodes, Delphax, Dicranotropis, Distantinus (=Matutinus), Elachodelphax, Euidelloides, Euides, Eumetopina, Euryburnia (replacement name for Nearctic Eurybregma), Eurysa, Falcotoya, Flavoclypeus, Hadropygos, Harmalia (see Opiconsiva), Isodelphax, Javesella, Kelisoidea, Keyflana, Kormus, Kosswigianella, Kusnezoviella, Laccocera, Laodelphax, Lepidelphax, Leptodelphax, Liburnia (junior syn. of Embolophora), Liburniella, Macrotomella, Matutinus (replaced by Distantinus), Megadelphax, Megamelanus, Megamelus, Melaniphax, Meristopsis, Metadelphax, Muellerianella, Muirodelphax, Neodelphax, Neomegamelanus, Neoperkinsiella, Nesosydne, Nicetor, Nilaparvata, Nothodelphax, Opiconsiva (inc. Harmalia), Paradelphacodes, Paraliburnia, Pareuidella, Parkana, Penepissonotus, Peregrinus, Perkinsiella, Phrictopyga, Phyllodinus, Pissonotus, Prokelisia, Pygospina, Pyrophagus, Ribautodelphax, Rotundifronta, Salinesia, Scolopygos, Sogatella, Sparnia, Spartidelphax, Stobaera, Syndelphax, Synpteron, Tagosodes, Tarophagus, Toya, Tragediana, Tumidagena, Unkanodes, Yukonodelphax
Suggested citation of website
Bartlett, C. R. and contributors. 2025 (and updates). Planthoppers of North America. Available at https://sites.udel.edu/planthoppers/ (accessed on [date]).
Contact: Bartlett[at]udel.edu.
This site includes a searchable bibliography of post-1940 literature (plus a digital PDF library for select pre-1940 literature), primarily post-1940 (earlier literature is on DrMetcalf).
Photographs, unless otherwise indicated, are by Kimberley Shropshire, Charles Bartlett, or UD Dept. Entomology grad students. Such photos were supported by USDA NRI Grant No. 2009-55605-05006, and are available (with attribution) for educational, scientific, or other non-commercial use based on a Creative Commons license. Photos from other sources are used by permission and attributed to that source – permission for further use is not mine to grant and should be sought from the attributed source.
