Horned Treehopper - Alosextius carinatus
Family Membracidae
This page contains pictures and information about Horned Treehoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Female body length 5mm
- The Horned Treehoppers have the pronotum extending forward so that it look like having two horns. As other tree hopper, they rest on the young shots of their host plants, suck sap for their living.
- Female
- Insects in the family Membracidae have the pronotum extending back over the abdomen between wings. Many species also have the pronotum extending forward so that the insects look like thorns on the host plant.
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- Nymph Male
- Nymphs are pale green in colour. Adults and nymphs can be found on the same host plants. Males are a little bit smaller in size, with flat and smaller horns than female.
- The above pictures shows two males try to male with the female. Notice the males have the smaller and flatted horn.
The Host Plant
- Wild Tobacco
- Solanum mauritianum, Family Solanaceae
- This is the host plants on which we found the Horned Treehoppers. There are many of them in Wishart Outlook along Bulimba Creek. This plant is considered as weeds in Brisbane.
- The fully grown plant is a small tree about two meter height, hairy with large leaves. The flowers are purple in colour. The fruits are round and about 12mm in diameter, yellow-green in colour. The Fruit Flies and Green Potato Bugs can also be found on the fruits.
- Reference and link:
- 1. Alosextius carinatus - Fletcher, M.J. and Larivière, M.-C. (2001 and updates).
- 2. Alosextius carinatus - Australian Biological Resources Study, Department of the Environment and Heritage.
