Ricaniid Planthopper vs Sumac Gall Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Ricaniid Planthopper Sumac Gall Aphid
Scientific Name Ricania speculum Melaphis rhois
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Ricaniidae Pemphigidae
Size 8-12 mm 1-3 mm
Habitat Orchards Woodlands
Diet Fruit Feeders Gall Makers
Regions South Asia, Southeast Asia, East Asia Eastern North America
Conservation Not Evaluated Not Evaluated

Ricaniid Planthopper

A broad-winged planthopper with dark, glossy wings held tent-like over its body. It is a pest of tea, coffee, and various fruit trees across Asia.

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Did You Know?

Its nymphs produce long waxy tail filaments that may help them parachute safely if they fall from host plants.

Sumac Gall Aphid

A gall-forming aphid that produces large hollow galls on sumac trees in which colonies live and reproduce. Soldier nymphs defend the gall from invaders using their thickened front legs.

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Did You Know?

Their soldier caste is composed of sterile first-instar nymphs that sacrifice their development to protect the colony.