Cercopidae are the largest family of Cercopoidea, a xylem-feeding insect group, commonly called froghoppers. They belong to the hemipteran suborder Auchenorrhyncha. A 2023 phylogenetic study of the family suggested the elevation of the New World subfamily Ischnorhininae to full family status as Ischnorhinidae, leaving a monophyletic Old World Cercopinae.
Taxonomy Based on a 2023 molecular phylogenetic analysis, the Cercopidae senso stricto was divided into two monophyletic subfamilies, Cercopinae and Cosmoscartinae, each with a number of tribes.
Cercopinae
Tribe Bandusiini Bandisia Tribe Callitetixini Abidama Callitettix Caloscarta Moultoniella Rhinastria Tadascarta Tribe Cercopini Cercopis Haematoloma Triecphorella Tribe Haematoscartini Clypeocarta Haematoscarta Lieftinckana Straelenia Tribe Hemiaufidini Hemiaufidus Tribe Locrisini Anyllis Dulitana Locris Nesaphrogeneia Paralocris Tribe Rhinaulacini Amberana Asiacercopis Aufidus Aufiterna Augustohahnia Baibarana Bourgoinrana Circulocercopis Colsa Eoscarta Euryaulax Hemibandusia Hemicercopis Hemiliterna Heteroliterna Jacobsoniella Jeanneliensa Kanozata Lehina Leptoliterna Liorhinella Literna Machadoa Mioscarta Nesaulax Neocercopis Paracercopis Paracercopoides Paraliterna Paramioscarta Parapisidice Petyllis Poeciloterpa Rhinaulax Sounama Synavea Telogmometopius Thoodzata Trigonoschema Villiersana Wawi Tribe incertae sedis Alluaudensia Ambonga Blötea Cercopicesa Euglobiceps Euryliterna Janssensia Lamprochlamys Leptynis Orthorhinella Paramonecphora Phlebarcys Pisianax Pogonorhinella Pseudocercopis
Cosmoscartinae
Tribe Considiini Considia Paphnutius Tribe Cosmoscartini Cosmoscarta Ectemnonotops Ectemnonotum Eubakeriella Gynopygocarta Gynopygolax Helioscarta Homalostethus Kanoscarta Kotozata Okiscarta Oxymegaspis Oxypeltarion Platynotoscarta Tribe Phymatostethini Phymastostheta Tribe Suracartini Anoplosnastus Ectemnocarta Leptataspis Megastethodon Opistharsostethus Serapita Simeliria Suracarta Tribe Trichoscartini Hemitrichoscarta Neoporpacella Paratrichoscarta Pisidice Porpacella Trichoscarta Tribe incertae sedis Radioscarta
Invalid genera Crispolon Jr et al. (2023) considered certain described genera as invalid without discussion and did not include them in the family as prescribed by their phylogeny.
Delassor (junior synonym of Mahanarva in Ischnorhinidae) Funkhouseria (junior synonym of Mahanarva in Ischnorhinidae) Hemieoscarta (junior synonym of Eoscarta) Kuscarta (junior synonym of Sounama) Luederwaldtia (junior synonym of Mahanarva in Ischnorhinidae) Pachypterinella (junior synonym of Kanaima in Ischnorhinidae) Pseudeoscarta (junior synonym of Eoscarta) Stenaulophrys (junior synonym of Sounama) Vigilantius (junior synonym of Eoscarta)
Fossil genera
†Allocercopis †Berro †Cercopites †Cicadellites †Dawsonites †Eocercopidium †Lithecphora †Locrites †Megacercopis †Nangamostethos †Nisocercopis †Palecphora †Parafitopteryx †Prinecphora †Stenecphora †Stenolocris
Taxa removed from Cercopidae Crispolon Jr. et al.s 2023 molocular phylogenetic analysis recommended removing the following genera from Cercopidae and transferring them to Aphrophoridae: Hemitriecphora Microsargane
Additionally they recommended the elevation of the subfamily Ischnorhininae, endemic to the Americas, to full family status as Ischnorhinidae. This was based on the closer phylogenetic ties to Machaerotidae then to subfamily Cercopinae found exclusively in Europe, Africa, and Asia, Australasia:
References
Further reading
Hockings, F. D. 2014,"Pests, Diseases and Beneficials", CSIRO Publishing, Melbourne, Thompson, Vinton. 2026 "Spittlebugs" Cornel University Press, Ithaca and London,