Black Planthopper

Black Planthopper

Ricania speculum

Daily sighting probability ~10% · With luck
at Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]

In 3 days ~30% in a week ~50%

14 Verified sightings at Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]
5 In 1 park From 2019 to 2026
February Best month
🌅 Crepuscular When it's spotted

About the Black Planthopper

Ricania speculum, common name Black planthopper or Ricaniid Planthopper, is a species of planthoppers belonging to the family Ricaniidae. This species is considered a major agricultural pest for several crops in tropical and subtropical areas (apples, coffee plants, oil palms, Citrus species, etc.).

This species is widespread in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Philippines and Vietnam. Recently, it has been accidentally introduced in northern Italy, possibly with ornamental plants or crops. This species can be found in the low-elevation mountains and prefers dark environments.

Ricania speculum can reach a length of about 8 millimetres (0.31 in), with a wingspan of about 15 millimetres (0.59 in). These planthoppers have dark brown wings with central wavy horizontal bands and irregular transparent patches of different sizes. The precostal area of the forewings shows dense transverse veinlets and the costal margin is distinctly convex near the base. In males the tip of the abdomen is pointed, while in females is rounded. The final instar nymphs are white with dark brown markings and waxy secretions on the abdomen.

These... Wikipedia →

Global Distribution

Parks Where Found

# Park Country Daily sighting probability
1 Kaeng Krachan National Park 🇹🇭 Thailand
~10%

More parks will be added in future updates.

Cities Where Found

# City Country Daily sighting probability
1 Davao City 🇵🇭 Philippines
~30%
2 Turin 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
3 Milan 🇮🇹 Italy
~10%
4 Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] 🇱🇰 Sri Lanka
~10%
5 Kochi 🇮🇳 India
~10%
6 Beijing 🇨🇳 China
~10%
7 Seoul 🇰🇷 South Korea
~10%
8 Singapore 🇸🇬 Singapore
~10%
9 Jakarta 🇮🇩 Indonesia
~10%
10 Hangzhou 🇨🇳 China
~10%

Before you go

What are the chances of seeing a Black Planthopper in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?

With luck

About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Black Planthopper sighting in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] on a given day, based on 14 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 94th most-seen of the 182 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 50%, if each day is a fresh chance.

When is the best time to see a Black Planthopper in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]?

February

In that month about 20% of wildlife watchers report a Black Planthopper in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] on a given day, against under 5% in March and November–December, the lowest months. That is one of Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte]'s driest months, with about 70 mm of rain against 310 mm in November.

What time of day is best to see a Black Planthopper?

Between 4 and 7 pm

Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Black Planthopper sightings with a recorded time, and about 6 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is most active around dawn and dusk.

Is Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] the best place to see a Black Planthopper?

4th of 13

Of the 13 cities where we can rate Black Planthopper sightings, Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] ranks 4th at about 10%. The best odds are in Davao City (Philippines, about 30%), Turin (Italy, about 10%) and Milan (Italy, about 10%).

Where does the Black Planthopper sighting chance come from?

GBIF citizen-science records

It is estimated from how often the Black Planthopper is recorded against all the insects logged in Colombo [Sri Jayawardenepura Kotte] (14 verified sightings), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.

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