Common Issid Planthopper | Hainault Forest

Common Issid Planthopper

Issus coleoptratus

TQ4792 13/07/2023 ©Raymond Small

Common flightless planthopper (3-4mm long) that lives on shrubbery and on foliage of various deciduous trees, usually seen from May until October. The head, including the eyes, is narrower than the pronotum.

TQ4792 13/07/2023 ©Raymond Small

The above picture is probably an Issus coleoptratus nymph (2mm) but species identification cannot be 100% guaranteed without a clear view of the face. There is a rarer Issid bug in Britain, but records indicate it is restricted to western England. Nymphs of I. coleoptratus are interesting because they have toothed gears in their joints that precisely synchronize the hind legs when jumping forward - they possess the only mechanical gears known in nature!

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