Eye-patterned Gum Hopper - Platybrachys vidua

Family Eurybrachyidae

This page contains pictures and information about Eye-patterned Gum Hoppers that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.


Body length 15mm

Eye-patterned Gum Hoppers are brown in colour. The frons is greenish-brown. Abdomen is mostly black. All legs are brown. Forewings are reddish-brown with two black spots near the wing tip. Each black spot encloses with either two or three tiny white dots. The fore-wing tip margin is even in darker brown colour. Hind wings are smoky dark colour.



This planthopper rests on tree trunk heading either upwards or downwards. When moves, it moves backwards-forwards so sideway. Together with the eye-patterns on it forewing tips, it gives the impression of the tail is its head. This make the insect looked lager.



We noticed that some other species, including the Platybrachys decemmacula, also have the same behavior and wing eye-patterns. Since the eye-patterns are four eyes in a row, which make us think that they may mimic the face of a Huntsman Spider. Huntsman Spider has four eyes in a row at the front of its face and wait for prey on tree trunk.



We found many of them on gum tree trunk in Alexandra Hill during later summer.



This planthopper is mostly found on smooth bark gum trees.




Early summer in Karawatha Forest, we found the above planthopper nymph on Bottlebrush Callistemon stem. We noticed it was a large nymph and could be turn into adult very soon. We brought it home. A few days later, it turned into a Eye-patterned Gum Hopper adult.



Reference:
1. Platybrachys vidua - Insects of Townsville, Australia - Graeme Cocks,2004.
2. Species Platybrachys vidua Stål, 1863 - Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study.