Habitats

Since they feed entirely on plant sap, Auchenorrhyncha can be found in a huge variety of terrestrial habitats, although some support a much greater range of species than others. The richest faunas are generally found in habitats with a high diversity of foodplants such as deciduous woodlands and unimproved grasslands, but other factors such as vegetation structure and microclimate are also important.

Auchenorrhyncha are often the most abundant herbivores in temperate grasslands and have recently been recognised as important ecological indicators, particularly in chalk grasslands. The species assemblages present in such habitats are strongly related to the composition and structure of the plant community. Recent work on measuring the success of habitat management in meeting the goals of conservation or restoration has shown that using these insects as ecological indicators can provide more information than the vegetation alone.

Woodland

Deciduous woodlands support a very rich Auchenorrhyncha fauna, including a large number of small leafhoppers in the Typhlocybinae. Around two thirds of these species are associated with trees and shrubs and most have only a single food plant or a narrow range of host species. The very large but cryptic leafhopper Ledra aurita is a specialist bark-dweller, inhabiting the lichen-covered branches of larger trees, particularly oaks. Woodland ground flora found in rides and open areas is also very important. The nymphs of a number of species feed on herbaceous vegetation and then migrate to the canopy once adult, for example the treehopper Centrotus cornutus and various deltocephaline leafhoppers, such as Allygus and Thamnotettix species. Coniferous trees are much less productive for Auchenorrhyncha, but the leafhopper Grypotes puncticollis is often found on pines, even on isolated trees.


Woodland species: (l-r) Ledra aurita, Centrotus cornutus, Typhlocyba quercus & Aguriahana stellulata. ©Tristan Bantock

Dry Grassland

Unimproved chalk grassland is a very rich habitat for Auchenorrhyncha and supports a suite of unusual species. Many of these require warm south-facing situations on well-drained soils and are often associated with high floristic diversity. One such species is Tettigometra impressopunctata, the only member of the Tettigometridae to occur in Britain and often regarded as an indicator of high quality chalk sites. Utecha trivia is another scarce chalk grassland species which is usually found on sparsely vegetated areas. Batracomoprhus irroratus is associated with rock-rose and Eupteryx origani is frequent on marjoram.

Acid grassland can also be highly productive for Auchenorrhyncha. Many species feed on fine-leaved grasses such as fescues, characteristic of the low nutrient grassland which develops on acidic soils.


Chalk grassland species: (l-r) Tettigometra impressopunctata, Batracomorphus irroratus, Utecha trivia & Eupteryx origani. ©Tristan Bantock

Lowland heathland

Heather Calluna vulgaris dominates the flora of heathland and while it is not particularly important as a foodplant for Auchenorrhyncha, it does have a number of uncommon associated leafhopper species such as Zygina rubrovittata, Ophiola cornicula and Idiodonus cruentatus, as well as the much more frequent Ulopa reticulata. Other heathland plants such as birch and broom support a more interesting fauna, including the treehopper Gargara genistae and leafhopper Euscelis ohausi in the case of the latter. Stands of bracken often host the planthopper Ditropis pteridis, the only Auchenorrhyncha species to use this as a food plant. The wetter parts of heaths produce species which feed on sedges and rushes, as well as a number which are associated with purple moor grass.


Heathland species: (l-r) Ulopa reticulata, Ophiola cornicula, Zygina rubrovittata & Idiodonus cruentatus. ©Tristan Bantock

Wetlands

Lowland wet grasslands, marshes and fens are very productive habitats for Auchenorrhyncha and there is a rich fauna associated with rushes, sedges and other wetland vegetation. Two particularly large and colourful leafhopper species are often conspicuous in marshes and damp grasslands, Cicadella viridis and Evacanthus interruptus. Eupteryx signatipennis and Eupteryx thoulessi are associated with meadowseet and water mint respectively.

Reedbeds also have an interesting fauna; common reed supports at least eight species, for example the leafhopper Paralimnus phragmitis and the planthopper Delphax pulchellus.

Saltmarshes

Saltmarshes can support a very interesting Auchenorrhyncha fauna, although this is confined to the upper zone which is not inundated by the tide and is dominated by grasses. Species richness tends to be much higher if sites are not intensively grazed by sheep. Several leafhoppers are associated with the grass Puccinellia maritima, including Anoscopus limicola and Aphrodes aesturinus while the delphacid Pentastiridius leporinus probably develops on the roots of various grass species. Sea wormwood is host to Eupteryx artemisiae as well as the uncommon Chlorita viridula in the south-east. The planthopper Prokelisia marginata is a recently arrived inhabitant of saltmarshes on the southern coasts of England; this species feeds on common cord-grass and is native to the USA.


Wet grassland species: (l-r) Cicadella viridis, Evacanthus interruptus & Eupteryx thoulessi. Pentastiridius leporinus. a saltmarsh specialist. ©Tristan Bantock

Sand dunes and shingle Sand dunes are rather specialised habitats for Auchenorrhyncha. Marram grass dominates the foredune zone and has only two commonly associated species, Psammotettix sabulicola and Gravesteiniella boldi; Doratura impudica and Psammotettix maritimus are both very rare sand dune inhabitants. Grassland and heathland behind the foredunes harbours a much more diverse fauna. The only known population of the leafhopper Macropsis megerlei inhabits stands of burnet rose growing in stabiliised dunes. Shingle has even fewer associated Auchenorrhncha and there is just one specialist species, the leafhopper Anoscopus duffieldii, which is known only from Dungeness in Kent.
Uplands Although the Auchenorrhyncha are much less strongly associated with the southern lowlands than the Heteroptera, the fauna of upland moorland in northern Britain is often rather poor. Upland grassland supports a small group of uncommon specialist species such as Dicranotropis divergens, Ebarrius cognatus, Diplocolenus bensoni, Psammotettix frigidus, Macrosteles alpinus and Cixius cambricus, but these are rarely all found at any one site and their status is unclear. Wetter areas tend to have the richest assemblages, including the planthoppers Nothodelphax distincta and Struebingianella litoralis, as well as the leafhopper Planaphrodes trifasciata. Some species of the northern uplands are obviously restricted to particular foodplants, for example Chlorita dumosa and Emelyanoviana contraria which are found on thyme and rock-rose respectively.
Brownfield habitats The importance of brownfield habitats for invertebrates is now well-known. Artificial sites such as old industrial land and other waste ground can provide a mosaic of early successional habitats, maintained largely by frequent disturbance. These may develop a diverse flora, particularly if they occur on nutrient-poor substrates. The richness of the invertebrate fauna found on some brownfield sites in the Thames Gateway rivals that of highly valued semi-natural habitats, such as lowland heathland or chalk grassland. Such sites may support a wide range of grass-feeding Auchenorrhyncha, as well as many found on herbaceous vegetation. One species particularly associated with these habitats in the south-east is the distinctive planthopper Asiraca clavicornis.
Ornamental habitats Parks and gardens can be interesting habitats for Auchenorrhyna, since there are a number of species which occur on non-native plants. The best known of these is the large and striking red and green Graphocephala fennahi, found widely on Rhododendrons. Sage supports Eupteryx melissae and increasingly Eupteryx decemnotata and Edwardsiana rosae is often found on cultivated rose varieties. Opsius stactogalus is frequent on tamarisk growing in gardens throughout much of the UK and Synophropsis lauri has recently been found on bay laurel in the south-east. Cypresses are popular overwintering hosts for Auchenorrhyncha and a number of species may be beaten from them in the winter, such as Empoasca, Zygina and Idiocerus species. The recent colonist Liguropia juniperi uses cypress as a foodplant.


Species found in ornamental habitats: (l-r) Graphocephala fennahi, Opsius stactogalus & Eupteryx melissae. Asiraca clavicornis, a brownfield specialist. ©Tristan Bantock