Machaerotidae

Superregnum: Eukaryota
Cladus: Unikonta
Cladus: Opisthokonta
Cladus: Holozoa
Regnum: Animalia
Subregnum: Eumetazoa
Cladus: Bilateria
Cladus: Nephrozoa
Cladus: Protostomia
Cladus: Ecdysozoa
Cladus: Panarthropoda
Phylum: Arthropoda
Subphylum: Hexapoda
Classis: Insecta
Cladus: Dicondylia
Subclassis: Pterygota
Cladus: Metapterygota
Infraclassis: Neoptera
Cladus: Eumetabola
Cladus: Paraneoptera
Superordo: Condylognatha
Ordo: Hemiptera
Subordo: Auchenorrhyncha
Infraordo: Cicadomorpha
Superfamilia: Cercopoidea

Familia: Machaerotidae
Subfamiliae (4): Apomachaerotinae – Enderleiniinae – Hindolinae – Machaerotinae
Overview of genera (33)

Allox – Aphromachaerota - Aphrosiphon - Apomachaerota - Chaetophyes - Conditor - Conmachaerota - Dianmachaerota - Enderleinia - Eumachaerota - Grypomachaerota - Hindola - Hindoloides - Machaeropsis - Machaerota – Machaerota – Maxudea – Metahindola – Neurohindola – Neuroleinia – Neuromachaerota – Pachymachaerota – Parahindola – Parahindoloides – Platymachaerota – Polychaetophyes – Promaxudea – Pseudomachaerota – Serreia – Sigmasoma – Soamachaerota – Strandiana – Trichophyes – Weigoldella

Name

Machaerotidae Stål, 1866
References

Bell, A.J.; Cryan, J.R. 2013: Two new genera of tube-making spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Machaerotidae: Enderleiniini). Zootaxa 3640(1): 57–69. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3640.1.4 Reference page.
Bell, A.J.; Svenson, G.J.; Cryan, J.R. 2014: The phylogeny and revised classification of Machaerotidae, the tube-making spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cercopoidea). Systematic entomology, 39(3): 474–485. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12066 Reference page.
Maa, T.C. 1963: A Review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). Pacific insects monograph, 5: 1–166. Full article (PDF)

Links

Machaerotidae - Taxon details in World Auchenorrhyncha Database

Machaerotidae are a family of bugs in the superfamily Cercopoidea which were formerly grouped with the other cercopids. They are sometimes called as tube-forming spittle-bugs as the nymphs form a calcareous tube within which they live. These bugs are mainly found in the Old World tropics. The adults of many genera have a long, free and spine-like process originating at the scutellum and thus superficially similar to the tree-hoppers, Membracidae. Its tegmen or forewing, like typical bugs of the suborder Heteroptera, always has a distinct, membranous apical area.

Like other cercopoids, these are xylem-sap feeders.[1] The nymph extracts calcium from the xylem fluid and constructs a calcareous tube from Malphigian gland secretions[2] on some woody dicotyledons and immerses itself in a rather clear fluid excretion inside the tube. The tube strongly resembles the shell of certain serpulid sea worms or helicoid land snails and contain no less than 75% calcium carbonate. This habit is quite uncommon in the class Insecta and markedly different from that of typical cercopoids or spittlebugs, which make and live in a froth mass either below or above ground.[3] Machaerotids produce foam only when they emerge from the tube to moult. There are about 115 species in 31 genera placed in 4 tribes. The majority of species are found in Southeast Asia with a small number for Africa. They were traditionally separated into two subfamilies Machaerotinae which have the scutellar spine and Enderleiniinae which lack it. A third family, also lacking the spine, Apomachaerotinae, was introduced in 2014. The scutellum has a "tail" or appears raised towards the posterior end.[4]

 

Membracoidea       Cicadoidea   Cercopoidea     Machaerotidae     Clastopteridae         Cercopidae     Aphrophoridae (including Epipygidae)

 
 
Relationships with other groups.[5]

A list of the subfamilies, tribes and genera is as follows:[4]

Apomachaerotinae
Apomachaerota Schmidt, 1907
Serreia Baker, 1927
Machaerotinae
Maxudeini
Blastacaen Maa, 1963
Conditor Distant, 1916
Maxudea Schmidt, 1907
Machaerotini
Dianmachaerota Nie & Liang, 2009
Grypomachaerota Schmidt, 1907
Irridiculum Hamilton, 2014
Machaerota Burmeister, 1835
Platymachaerota Schmidt, 1918
Romachaeta Maa, 1963
Sigmasoma Schmidt, 1907
Tapinacaena Maa, 1963
Enderleiniinae
Hindoloidini
Aphrosiphon China, 1935
Hindoloides Distant, 1915
Kyphomachaerota Bell & Cryan, 2013
Trigonurella Maa, 1963
Enderleiniini
Aecalusa Maa, 1963
Allox Hamilton, 2014
Chaetophyes Schmidt, 1981
Enderleinia Schmidt, 1907
Hindola Kirkaldy, 1900
Labramachaerota Bell & Cryan, 2013
Labrosyne Maa, 1963
Machaeropsis Melichar, 1903
Makiptyelus Maki, 1914
Neuroleinia Lallemand, 1936
Neuromachaerota Schmidt, 1912
Pectinariophyes Kirkaldy, 1906
Polychaetophyes Kirkaldy, 1906
Taihorina Schumacher, 1915

References

Newby, R. C. (1980). "The Use of Insects for Sampling Xylem Sap". Annals of Botany. 45 (2): 213–215. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.aob.a085814. ISSN 0305-7364. JSTOR 42761313.
Rakitov, Roman A. (2002). "Structure and Function of the Malpighian Tubules, and Related Behaviors in Juvenile Cicadas: Evidence of Homology with Spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea & Cercopoidea)". Zoologischer Anzeiger - A Journal of Comparative Zoology. 241 (2): 117–130. doi:10.1078/0044-5231-00025.
Maa, T.C. (1963). "A Review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea)" (PDF). Pacific Insects Monographs. 5: 1–166.
Bell, Adam J.; Svenson, Gavin J.; Cryan, Jason R. (2014). "The phylogeny and revised classification of Machaerotidae, the tube-making spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cercopoidea): Phylogeny and classification of Machaerotidae". Systematic Entomology. 39 (3): 474–485. doi:10.1111/syen.12066.
Cryan, Jason R. (2005). "Molecular phylogeny of Cicadomorpha (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadoidea, Cercopoidea and Membracoidea): Adding evidence to the controversy". Systematic Entomology. 30 (4): 563–574. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3113.2004.00285.x.