Thorn Treehopper

About the Thorn Treehopper

Umbonia crassicornis, commonly known as the thorn bug, is a widespread member of the insect family Membracidae, and an occasional pest of ornamentals and fruit trees in southern Florida. The body length of the adult is approximately 10 millimetres (0.39 in). This is a variable species as to size, color and structure, particularly the pronotal horn of males (which is more angled posteriorly than the females' and often somewhat expanded apically). This tall, essentially perpendicular thornlike pronotum discourages birds and other predators from eating it, if only by mistakenly confusing it with a thorn. Typically, the adult is green or yellow with reddish lines and brownish markings.

The species is restricted to warmer climates where temperatures stay, on average, above zero. This limits the species to the tropical regions of Northern South America to Mexico and Florida. Any range of temperature below 0 degrees is fatal resulting in a 10-90 percent decrease in the population as temperature decreases. Its preferred hosts are ornamental and fruit trees of subtropical regions feeding on sap inside the plants.

Female Umbonia crassicornis often deposit... Wikipedia →