Scolypopa australis
Encyclopedia
Scolypopa australis, commonly known as the passionvine hopper is a species of planthopper
(Fulgoroidea) in the insect family Ricaniidae
found in Australia
. Despite their name, they are found not only on passion vines, but on many different plant
species such as the lantana
. Brown with partly transparent wings
, they are about 7mm long as adults and 5mm as nymphs. As an adult they look somewhat like a moth
to the untrained eye, and walk "like a ballerina
". The nymph
s are wingless and are informally known as fluffy bums. When sufficiently aroused they will hop off their plant "with a 'snap'". Like all planthoppers they suck plant sap
. This leaves a honeydew secretion
which bee
s gather. They are also known to cause honey poisoning.
in 1876, where they are among over 40 (mostly native) species of planthopper including the introduced species
Siphanta acuta
(green planthoppers), Achilus flammeus
(red fingernail bugs) and Anzora unicolor (grey planthoppers), all from Australia. They may be a vector of the 'sudden decline' disease caused by Phytoplasma
australiense that has affected the native cabbage tree (Cordyline australis), and are a common pest in gardens. They are also found in regrowing forest. They are very common in the summer and autumn north of Nelson
. Honey
made from honeydew produced from the shrub tutu
(Coriaria
) is poison
ous for humans, despite being harmless to the bees that collected it. The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s, although sporadic outbreaks of toxic honey poisoning continue to occur. Poisoning symptoms include delirium.
Planthopper
A planthopper is any insect in the infraorder Fulgoromorpha within the Hemiptera. The name comes from their remarkable resemblance to leaves and other plants of their environment and from the fact that they often "hop" for quick transportation in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. However,...
(Fulgoroidea) in the insect family Ricaniidae
Ricaniidae
The family Ricaniidae is a group of hemipteran insects, containing over 40 genera and 400 species world-wide. Thus, they are one of the smaller families in the planthopper superfamily...
found in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Despite their name, they are found not only on passion vines, but on many different plant
Plant
Plants are living organisms belonging to the kingdom Plantae. Precise definitions of the kingdom vary, but as the term is used here, plants include familiar organisms such as trees, flowers, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The group is also called green plants or...
species such as the lantana
Lantana
Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants in the verbena family, Verbenaceae. They are native to tropical regions of the Americas and Africa but exist as an introduced species in numerous areas, especially in the Australian-Pacific region. The genus includes both...
. Brown with partly transparent wings
Insect wing
Insects are the only group of invertebrates known to have evolved flight. Insects possess some remarkable flight characteristics and abilities, still far superior to attempts by humans to replicate their capabilities. Even our understanding of the aerodynamics of flexible, flapping wings and how...
, they are about 7mm long as adults and 5mm as nymphs. As an adult they look somewhat like a moth
Moth
A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly, both being of the order Lepidoptera. Moths form the majority of this order; there are thought to be 150,000 to 250,000 different species of moth , with thousands of species yet to be described...
to the untrained eye, and walk "like a ballerina
Ballerina
A ballerina is a title used to describe a principal female professional ballet dancer in a large company; the male equivalent to this title is danseur or ballerino...
". The nymph
Nymph (biology)
In biology, a nymph is the immature form of some invertebrates, particularly insects, which undergoes gradual metamorphosis before reaching its adult stage. Unlike a typical larva, a nymph's overall form already resembles that of the adult. In addition, while a nymph moults it never enters a...
s are wingless and are informally known as fluffy bums. When sufficiently aroused they will hop off their plant "with a 'snap'". Like all planthoppers they suck plant sap
Plant sap
Sap is a fluid transported in xylem cells or phloem sieve tube elements of a plant. It transports water and nutrients throughout the plant....
. This leaves a honeydew secretion
Honeydew (secretion)
Honeydew is a sugar-rich sticky liquid, secreted by aphids and some scale insects as they feed on plant sap. When their mouthpart penetrates the phloem, the sugary, high-pressure liquid is forced out of the gut's terminal opening. Honeydew is particularly common as a secretion in the Hemipteran...
which bee
Honey bee
Honey bees are a subset of bees in the genus Apis, primarily distinguished by the production and storage of honey and the construction of perennial, colonial nests out of wax. Honey bees are the only extant members of the tribe Apini, all in the genus Apis...
s gather. They are also known to cause honey poisoning.
In New Zealand
They arrived in New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
in 1876, where they are among over 40 (mostly native) species of planthopper including the introduced species
Introduced species
An introduced species — or neozoon, alien, exotic, non-indigenous, or non-native species, or simply an introduction, is a species living outside its indigenous or native distributional range, and has arrived in an ecosystem or plant community by human activity, either deliberate or accidental...
Siphanta acuta
Siphanta acuta
Siphanta acuta is a plant-feeding insect in the family Flatidae; this species of planthopper is found in various parts of the world, and is sometimes called the green planthopper, or the torpedo bug. About 15 mm long, they resemble small leaves and are generally found in trees...
(green planthoppers), Achilus flammeus
Achilus flammeus
Achilus flammeus, the red fungus bug, is a planthopper native to New South Wales and New Zealand ....
(red fingernail bugs) and Anzora unicolor (grey planthoppers), all from Australia. They may be a vector of the 'sudden decline' disease caused by Phytoplasma
Phytoplasma
Phytoplasma are specialised bacteria that are obligate parasites of plant phloem tissue and transmitting insects . They were first discovered by scientists in 1967 and were named mycoplasma-like organisms or MLOs. They cannot be cultured in vitro in cell-free media...
australiense that has affected the native cabbage tree (Cordyline australis), and are a common pest in gardens. They are also found in regrowing forest. They are very common in the summer and autumn north of Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
. Honey
Honey
Honey is a sweet food made by bees using nectar from flowers. The variety produced by honey bees is the one most commonly referred to and is the type of honey collected by beekeepers and consumed by humans...
made from honeydew produced from the shrub tutu
Tutu (plant)
Tutu is a common name of Māori origin for plants in the genus Coriaria found in New Zealand.Six New Zealand native species are known by the name:*Coriaria angustissima*Coriaria arborea*Coriaria lurida*Coriaria plumosa...
(Coriaria
Coriaria
Coriaria is the sole genus in the family Coriariaceae. It includes about 30 species of subshrubs, shrubs and small trees, with a widespread but disjunct distribution across warm temperate regions of the world, occurring as far apart as the Mediterranean region, southern and eastern Asia, New...
) is poison
Poison
In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism....
ous for humans, despite being harmless to the bees that collected it. The last recorded deaths from eating honey containing tutin were in the 1890s, although sporadic outbreaks of toxic honey poisoning continue to occur. Poisoning symptoms include delirium.