Genus Colpoptera Burmeister, 1835

[Back to Planthoppers of North America]
[Back to North American Nogodinidae]

Family Nogodinidae Melichar, 1898

Subfamily Colpopterinae Gnezdilov 2003

Tribe Colpopterini Gnezdilov, 2003

Genus Colpoptera Burmeister, 1835.

Type species (in original combination): Colpoptera sinuata Burmeister, 1835. 

Synonyms

• Hesperophara Kirkaldy, 1904: 279 (Type species Flata rustica Fabricius, 1803: 53); replacement name for unavailable Leptophara Stål, 1869 (nec Billberg); syn. by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 21.
• Leptophara Stål, 1869: 102 (nec. Billberg 1820) (Type Flata rustica Fabricius, 1803); replaced by Hesperophara by Kirkaldy 1904: 279.

Distribution

Widespread in Central America into northern Central America and Caribbean; 1 species adventive species in Florida.

Recognized species

There are ~27 species currently in this genus [see Metcalf 1958: 202]

(Distribution records may be incomplete)

Colpoptera acinaces Bahder & Bartlett, 2025 – Costa Rica
Colpoptera acutata Caldwell 1945:114 – Mexico (Oaxaca)
Colpoptera alacuta Bahder & Bartlett, 2025 – Costa Rica
Colpoptera albavenosa Caldwell 1945:113 – Mexico (San Luis Potosí)
Colpoptera bifurcata Caldwell 1945:116 – Mexico (Oaxaca, Sonora, Veracruz)
Colpoptera brunnea Muir 1924:465 (see also Caldwell & Martorell 1951: 255 as Colpoptera brunneus) – Puerto Rico
Colpoptera caldwelli Metcalf 1958:205 – Mexico (Guanajuato)
= Colpoptera carinata Caldwell 1945:116, pl.4 (not C. maculifrons carinata Dozier 1936) by Metcalf 1958.
= Colpoptera caldwelli Metcalf 1958: 205, new name for unavailable Colpoptera carinata Caldwell 1945.
Colpoptera clerodendri Dozier 1931:19 – Haiti
Colpoptera cyatheae Fennah 1955:26 – St. Lucia
Colpoptera elongata Caldwell 1945:117 – Mexico (Chiapas)
Colpoptera falx Bahder & Bartlett, 2025 – Costa Rica
Colpoptera fusca Caldwell 1951:256 (in Caldwell & Martorell 1951) – Puerto Rico
Colpoptera galatea Fennah 1965:103 – Barbados
Colpoptera insularis Dozier 1931:20 – Haiti
Colpoptera japortla Bahder & Bartlett, 2024 – Jamaica
Colpoptera longula (Lethierry, 1890) – Venezuela
= Issus longulus Lethierry, 1890: 149.
= Thionia longula (Lethierry, 1890) comb. by Melichar (1906: 286)
= Colpoptera longula (Lethierry, 1890) comb. by Gnezdilov (2012: 766)
Colpoptera maculifrons Muir 1924:466 (see also Caldwell & Martorell 1951) – Puerto Rico, St. Croix
Colpoptera maculifrons angustior Fennah 1955:31 – Antigua, St. Kitts, Nevis, Montserrat, St. Croix
Colpoptera maculifrons carinata Dozier 1936:99 (see also Caldwell & Martorell 1951) – Puerto Rico
Colpoptera maculifrons dominica Fennah 1955:35 – Dominica
Colpoptera maculifrons flavifrons Osborn 1935:212 (see also Ramos 1947) – Antigua (Virgin Is.), Puerto Rico, Mona Is.,
Colpoptera maculifrons grenedana Fennah 1955:32 – Grenada
Colpoptera maculifrons maculata Dozier 1931:16 (see also Caldwell & Martorell 1951) – Puerto Rico (inc. Mona Is., Vieques, Caja de Muertos), Virgin Islands
Colpoptera marginalis Burmeister 1835:156 (see also Metcalf 1938) – Mexico, Panama, Guyana
Colpoptera memnonia Fennah, 1955: 26 moved to Neocolpoptera Dozier, 1931 by Gnezdilov et al. (2004).
Colpoptera minuta Caldwell 1951:256 (in Caldwell & Martorell 1951) – Puerto Rico
Colpoptera nana Dozier 1931:20 – Haiti, Dominican Republic
Colpoptera nigridorsa Caldwell 1945:114 – Mexico (Guerrero, Morelos)
Colpoptera rotunda Caldwell 1945:113 – Mexico (Yucatan)
Colpoptera rustica (Fabricius 1803:53) – West Indies, South America (locality unclear; not US, see Doering 1938:457, also notes in Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 21; type specimen evidently in Copenhagen)
Colpoptera sinuata Burmeister 1835:155 (see also Fowler 1904, pl.12 and Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008) – Mexico (Guerrero, Morelos, Tamaulipas, Tabasco, Veracruz), Guatemala, Costa Rica, Panama, Jamaica
Colpoptera stigmata Caldwell 1945:114 – Mexico (Sonora)
Colpoptera stonei Bahder & Bartlett, 2024 – Costa Rica
Colpoptera thyone Fennah 1955:29 – St. Lucia

Colpoptera sp. [species undetermined] – USA: Florida

Species ‘recently’ removed from Colpoptera.

Genus Jamaha Gnezdilov & O’Brien, 2008

Jamaha chrysops (Fennah, 1955: 33) – Jamaica
= Colpoptera chrysops Fennah, 1955: 33 moved to Jamaha Gnezdilov & O’Brien, 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 25)
Jamaha elevans (Walker, 1858) – Jamaica (Haiti reported in error, see Gnezdilov et al. 2024)
= Colpoptera elevans (Walker, 1858:335) moved to Jamaha Gnezdilov & O’Brien, 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 25)
Jamaha playa Bahder & Bartlett, 2023 – Jamaica
Jamaha rugosa (Van Duzee, 1907) – Jamaica (also reported Haiti, probably in error)
=Colpoptera rugosa Van Duzee 1907:36 – moved to Jamaha by Bahder et al. 2024

The diagnostic feature of Jamaha is a distinctive, elongate projection from the lateral margin of the male pygofer (seen for J. chrysops on fig 1n of Fennah 1955).

Genus Caudibeccus Gnezdilov & O’Brien, 2008

Caudibeccus carlota (Myers, 1928) – Cuba (type species)
= Colpoptera carlota Myers, 1928 moved to Caudibeccus Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 22).
Caudibeccus emeljanovi Gnezdilov & O’Brien, 2008 – Cuba
Caudibeccus lucaris (Fennah, 1955) – Dominica
= Colpoptera lucaris Fennah, 1955: 28 moved to Caudibeccus Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 22).
Caudibeccus meleagris (Fennah, 1955) – Dominica
= Colpoptera meleagris Fennah, 1955: 27 moved to Caudibeccus Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 22).
Caudibeccus punctatus (Metcalf, 1954) – Bahamas
= Colpoptera punctata Metcalf, 1954 moved to Caudibeccus Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008 (by Gnezdilov & O’Brien 2008: 22).

Gnezdilov & O’Brien (2008: 23) not that Caudibeccus is “[s]imilar to Colpoptera Burmeister externally and in the structure of male genitalia, but distinguished by the narrow and elongated parts of the ovipositor which probably represents a different manner of oviposition – the elongated and fused gonoplacs are probably used as a directing case for the narrow and pointed endogonocoxal processes and anterior connective laminae in oviposition (Gnezdilov 2003b). The lateral margins of the coryphe are keel-shaped in Caudibeccus and not in Colpoptera examined to date; however, all Colpoptera species have not yet been examined for comparison.”

Distribution information primarily from Metcalf (1958)

Economic Importance

Apparently low, but the genus has been found in economic situations.

Plant associations

• Colpoptera brunnea – Piper aduncum L. (higuillo de hoja menuda, Piperaceae; swept from many taxa)
• Colpoptera clerodendri – Clerodendron fragrans Vent. (Lamiaceae)
• Colpoptera cyatheae – Cyathea Sm. (Treefern, Cyatheaceae), Lantana L. (Verbenaceae)
• Colpoptera maculifrons – Clerodendrum aculeatum (L.) Schltdl. (as Volkameria aculeata, haggarbush, Verbenaceae) (swept from many taxa)
• Colpoptera  rugosa – Lantana L. (Verbenaceae)
• Colpoptera thyone – Lantana L. (Verbenaceae)
• Colpoptera albavenosa – Parthenium hysterophorus (McClay et al. 1995)

Hosts from Wilson et al. 1994, McClay et al. 1995 (2 from unpublished); see also plant associations in Palmer and Pullen (1995) and those listed in FLOW; plant names from USDA PLANTS or Tropicos.

Recognition

Colpoptera has functional hind wings (like Thionia & Picumna), but is more slender and elongate with the hind tibiae bearing only 1 spine. The genus tends to be common in the Caribbean and Central America, where it is similar to Neocolpoptera Dozier 1931; which according to Caldwell & Martorell is a more elongate slender form.  The genera Caudibeccus and Jamaha were segregated out of Colpoptera based on the ‘structure of the male and female genitalia’ by Gnezdilov & O’Brien (2008), but external diagnostic features were not provided. Male Jamaha have an elongated process on the lateral margin of the pygofer opening. Jamaha appears to be limited in distribution to Jamaica, but there is an undescribed species from the Dominican Republic. Superficially may be mistaken for Selizini (Flatidae).

The species of Colpoptera are best separated by male genitalia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Online resources

TaxonPages.
iNaturalist.
Bugguide (the genus, not present – link to superfamily)
Discover Life. (genus present but no information)
FLOW.
EOL.
GBIF.
GenBank. (data, several genes, for ‘sp.’)
BOLD. (they use an old classification, most of these data is not public)

Collecting

Adults are taken most often by sweeping or beating (and, as it turns out, canopy fogging).

Molecular resources

As of this writing, there is some data for ‘Colpoptera sp.’ in Genbank; in Barcode of Life there is a lot of sequences (114, represented 6 species) but they are not (as of this writing) public.

Selected references

Bahder, B.W., W. Myrie, E.E. Helmick, A.R. Van Dam & C.R. Bartlett. 2024. A new species of planthopper in the genus Colpoptera (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae) from the Northeastern coast of Jamaica. Zootaxa 5424(5), 520–534. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5424.5.2

Barrantes, E.A.B., M.A.Z. Echavarria, C.R. Bartlett. & B.W. Bahder. 2025. New planthoppers in the genus Colpoptera (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae) from lowland tropical rainforest and cloud forest in Costa Rica. Zootaxa 5689(1), 114–132. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5689.1.4

Barrantes, E.A.B., M.A.Z. Echavarria, A.R. Van Dam, E.E. Helmick, C.R. Bartlett, L.V. Martinez Aponte A. Rodriguez Ruiz, M. Bloch & B.W. Bahder. 2024. A new species of planthopper in the genus Colpoptera (Hemiptera:Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae) from the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica. Zootaxa 5481(3), 341–352. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5481.3.3

Bartlett, C.R., L.B. O’Brien & S.W. Wilson. 2014. A review of the planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) of the United States. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 50: 1–287.

Burmeister, H.C.C. 1835. Schnabelkerfe. Rhynchota. Fascicule 1. In: Burmeister H. C. C. Handbuch der Entomologie 2: 99–183 (see p. 155)

Caldwell, J.S. 1945. Notes on Issidae from Mexico (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 38: 89–120.

Caldwell, J.S. & L.F. Martorell. 1951 [dated 1950]. Review of the Auchenorynchous [sic] Homoptera of Puerto Rico. Part II. The Fulgoroidea except Kinnaridae. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 34(2): 133–269.

Dozier, H.L. 1931. New and interesting West Indian Homoptera. New and interesting West Indian Homoptera. American Museum Novitates. American Museum of Natural History 510: 1–24.

Fabricius J.C. 1803. Systema Rhyngotorum secundum ordines, genera, species, adiectis synonymis, locis, observationibus, descriptionibus. 1803: 314 pp.

Fennah, R.G. 1955. Lanternflies of the Family Issidae of the Lesser Antilles (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Proceedings of the United States Museum 105(3350): 23–47.

Fennah, R.G. 1965. New Species of Fulgoroidea (Homoptera) from the West Indies. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 117: 95–125.

Gnezdilov, V.M. 2003. A new tribe of the family Issidae (Homoptera, Cicadina) with comments on the family as a whole. Zoosystematica Rossica (2002) 11(2): 305–309.

Gnezdilov, V.M. 2012. Revision of the tribe Colpopterini Gnezdilov, 2003 (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae). Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie XCI(4): 757–774.

Gnezdilov, V.M. 2018. New genus for Thionia gibbicollis Dozier, 1931 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae) from Haiti. Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 322(4): 457–462. [species moved into new genus Dozierana in the Colpopterini]

Gnezdilov, V.M. & L.B. O’Brien. 2008. New taxa and combinations in Neotropical Issidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea). Insecta Mundi 31: 1–26.

Gnezdilov, V.M., C.R. Bartlett & I. Malenovský. 2024. On the identity of the Caribbean planthopper Jamaha elevans (Walker, 1858) (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae). Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 328(4): 549–554.

Gnezdilov, V.M., S. Drosopoulos & M.R. Wilson. 2004. New data on taxonomy and distribution of some Fulgoroidea (Homoptera, Cicadina). Zoosystematica Rossica 12(2): (2003) 217–223.

Holzinger, W.E., I. Kammerlander & H. Nickel. 2003. Fulgoromorpha, Cicadomorpha excluding Cicadellidae. Volume 1. The Auchenorrhyncha of Central Europe. Brill Academic Publishing, Leiden, Netherlands.

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1904. Bibliographical and nomenclatorial notes on the Hemiptera No. 3. The Entomologist. An illustrated Journal of Entomology 37: 279–283 [279].

Lethierry, L.F. 1890. Voyage de M. E. Simon au Venezuela (Décembre 1887-Avril 1888) 9e mémoire Hémiptères Homoptères. Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (Ser. 6) 10: 147–160 [p. 149].

McClay, A.S., W.A. Palmer, F.D .Bennett & K.R. Pullen. 1995. Phytophagous arthropods associated with Parthenium hysterophorus (Asteraceae) in North America. Environmental Entomology 24(4): 796–809.

Melichar, L. 1898. Monographie der Ricaniiden (Homoptera). Annalen des k.k Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums 13: 197–359.

Metcalf, Z.P. 1954. Homoptera from the Bahama Islands. American Museum Novitates 1698: 1–46.

Metcalf, Z.P. 1938. The Fulgorina of Barro Colorado and other parts of Panama. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard College 82: 277–423.

Metcalf, Z.P. 1958. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea, Part 15, Issidae. Waverly Press, Inc., Baltimore, Maryland.

Muir, F.A.G. 1924. New and little-known fulgorids from the West Indies (Homoptera). Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 5: 461–472.

Myers, J.G. 1928. Notes on Cuban Fulgoroid Homoptera. Studies on Cuban insects. 1928: 11–31 (Cambridge, Mass.).

Palmer, W.A. & K.R. Pullen. 1995. The phytophagous arthropods associated with Lantana camara, L. hirsuta, L. urticifolia, and L. urticoides (Verbenaceae) in North America. Biological Control 5: 54–72.

Poinar, G., F.E. Vega & A. Stroinski. 2020. Jatoba gen. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Nogodinidae), a new genus of planthoppers from Dominican amber. Historical Biology https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1862107. [new genus in Colpopterini with comments on tribe]

Stål, C. 1869. Hemiptera Fabriciana. Fabricianska Hemipterarter, efter de Köpenhamn och Kiel förvarade typexemplaren granskade och beskrifne. 2. Handlingar. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien. Stockholm 8(1): 1–130.

Szwedo, J., Drohojowska, J., Popov, Y., Simon, E. & Wegierek, P. 2019. Aphids, true hoppers, jumping plant-lice, scale insects, true bugs and whiteflies (Insecta: Hemiptera) from the Insect Limestone (latest Eocene) of the Isle of Wight, UK. Earth and Environmental Science Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 110 (3-4), 331–396. https://doi.org/10.1017/S175569101900001X [Niadrima yulei† Szwedo, 2019, new genus, new species]

Van Duzee, E.P. 1907. Notes on Jamaican Hemiptera: A report on a collection of Hemiptera made on the island of Jamaica in the spring of 1906. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 8(5): 3–79.

Walker, F. 1858. Supplement. List of the specimens of Homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. 369 pp.

Wilson, S.W., C. Mitter, R.F. Denno & M. R. Wilson. 1994. Evolutionary patterns of host plant use by delphacid planthoppers and their relatives. In: R. F. Denno and T. J. Perfect, (eds.). Planthoppers: Their Ecology and Management. Chapman and Hall, New York. Pp. 7–45 & Appendix.