Bug FAQBlack planthopper
Ricania speculum · Order: Hemiptera · Family: Ricaniidae
Source: Wikipedia
The black planthopper is about 8 mm long with a 15 mm wingspan and has dark brown wings marked by wavy bands and clear patches. It lives in low-elevation mountains, prefers dark places, and is a major pest of many tropical and subtropical crops.
Source: Wikipedia
How to recognize it
Adults have dark brown wings with wavy horizontal bands and irregular transparent spots.
Source: Wikipedia
Size
Adults reach about 8 mm in length and a wingspan of roughly 15 mm.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it lives
They are found in low-elevation mountainous areas and tend to stay in dark environments.
Source: Wikipedia
What it eats
They feed by sucking sap from the leaves of host plants.
Source: Wikipedia
Life cycle
There is one generation each year. Eggs remain in the bark of branches over winter and hatch in spring.
Source: Wikipedia
Where it comes from
The species is widespread across China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Source: Wikipedia
More photos
Questions people ask
What crops does the black planthopper damage?
It is a major pest of apples, coffee plants, oil palms and citrus species.
Source: Wikipedia
How can I recognize an adult black planthopper?
Look for a small insect about 8 mm long with dark brown wings that have wavy bands and clear patches.
Source: Wikipedia
Where is the black planthopper usually found?
It lives in low-elevation mountains and prefers dark habitats.
Source: Wikipedia
How many generations does this planthopper have each year?
It produces a single generation annually.
Source: Wikipedia
Same family (Ricaniidae)
Sources
- Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricania_speculum
Look it up elsewhere: GBIF · iNaturalist · BugGuide · Wikipedia
Text written 2026-10-24 from the sources above and checked sentence by sentence against them. Data fetched 2026-10-22.