ho·mop·ter·an  (hō-mŏp'tər-ən)  n. A homopterous insect. adj. Of or belonging to the order Homoptera; homopterous. [From New Latin Homoptera, order name : Greek homo-, homo- + Greek pteron, wing; see -pter.] |
| homopteran (hə-mŏp'tər-ən) Pronunciation Key
Any of various insects belonging to the group Homoptera. Homopterans suck sap from plants and can be very destructive. They include the cicadas, treehoppers, leafhoppers, aphids, scale insects, whiteflies, and mealybugs. Some scientists consider the homopterans to be a suborder of the order Hemiptera, while others consider them to be a separate insect order. |
homopteran
any of more than 32,000 species of sucking insects, the members of which exhibit considerable diversity in body size. All of the Homoptera are plant feeders, with mouthparts adapted for sucking plant sap from a wide assortment of trees and wild and cultivated plants. Many homopterans cause injuries or destruction to plants, including fruit trees and grain crops, and can be vectors of plant diseases. A few provide secretions or other products that are beneficial and have commercial value. Most members of the Homoptera fall into one of two large groups; the Auchenorrhyncha, which consists of the cicadas, treehoppers, froghoppers or spittlebugs, leafhoppers, and planthoppers or fulgorids; and the Sternorrhyncha, which includes aphids or plant lice, phylloxerans, coccids, scales, whiteflies, and mealybugs.
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