''Ledra aurita'' or the eared leafhopper is a species of bug in the family Cicadellidae. It is the only species of the subfamily

Ledrinae Ledrinae is a relatively small Subfamily (biology), subfamily within the very large and diverse leafhopper family Cicadellidae. Originally placed in its own family, the "Ledridae", it is based on the type genus ''Ledra (leafhopper), Ledra''. ...

that lives in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located enti ...

, including the

British Isles The British Isles are a group of islands in the North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner and Outer Hebrides, the Northern Isles (O ...

Distribution & habitat

Ledra aurita lives in the deciduous forests of Europe and Asia, where it is mostly in the treetops. Though common in some areas, it is hard to spot due to its bark-like

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

. The species can be found on lichen-covered

tree In botany, a tree is a perennial plant with an elongated stem, or trunk, usually supporting branches and leaves. In some usages, the definition of a tree may be narrower, including only woody plants with secondary growth, plants that are ...

s, especially

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

Description

The species is large and grey with ear-like projections on the pronotum. They are long.

Lifestyle

The eared leafhopper is adapted to life on tree bark. Both the larvae and the adult animals are very well camouflaged and can be hard to notice against a barky background. They feed on sap from the leaves and branches of deciduous trees and bushes with their specially built, tree-piercing mouthparts. The species is polyphagous, which means that it is not very particular about its food. Although it prefers oaks, it also eats from a large number of other woody plants such as birch or poplar and occasionally linden, beech, apple, maple, alder and hazel trees. Adults like to fly towards light at night and so can sometimes be found near human habitation.

References

Ledrinae Hemiptera of Europe {{Cicadellidae-stub