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Geographic Distribution
Within New Zealand, there are around 100 different species of the plant hopper, 90 of which are endemic to New Zealand. Siphanta acuta are found widespread with in the North and South Island of New Zealand, and it originated from Australia. According to the map distribution on the Inaturalist website, the species is found all over the world in countries like Spain, India, South Africa, Indonesia and Malaysia, as well as Australia and New Zealand.

Identification
This species can range in size but is generally about 10mm in length. for identification the most obvious aspect is the triangular shaped wings, they are also a bright yellowish-green colour. Some have also been seen in a blue colour or yellow. the Siphanta acuta has a mouthpiece (rostrum) which contains two straw like structures that are called stylets. These stylets are used to extract nutrients, one for pushing salivary secretions down in to the leaf while the other sucks up the secretions with plant nutrients. This mouthpiece is located at the lower area of its head. It has two pairs of wings attached, that sit above its body when they are not using them, and six legs. The insect has compound eyes on the sides of its head, two antennae on the front, and the female has an ovipositor on the tip of her body. Their wings can also be identified by the dotted red at the back and corner of their wings .The Siphanta acuta nymph looks very similar to that of the grey planthopper (Anzora unicolor), and passion vine hopper (Scolypopa australis). The difference to telling them apart is that the Siphanta acuta produced less wax from its tufts area compared to the grey planthopper that produces a lot more from all over its body. Siphanta acuta also lays its tufts against the leaf in a flattened position, where as the passion vine hopper nymph hold their tufts upright.

life cycle
The female will usually lay a cluster of eggs around 90-110 eggs which are flat and oval in appearance, these are usually placed on the leaf of a chosen plant. The eggs start off white in colour. On occasion, fungus can grow on the empty egg shells turning the outside black. When the insect emerges from the egg it is known as a nymph, the nymphs are white in colour and have a waxy filament on each side of the abdomen. They also have two white tufts at the end of the body. The nymph will moult to get to the next stages in life which include, becoming more green in colour then including reddish markings, then altering to a white and pink coloured nymph. The final moult being the adult appearance. Siphanta acuta has an average of five moults to finally reach its final adult form, this can take several weeks.

Diet and feeding
Siphanta acuta is found on a large variety of plant species in New Zealand, they were found abundant on the plant Asparagus asparagoides (L.) Druce, in a 2008 survey, they have also been found on Ligustrum lucidum (glossy privet) which is a part of the olive tree family, in 2012. According to the plant-syNZ database from 2nd oct 2017 there are a range of endemic, naturalized, and indigenous non endemic plant species they feed off; Some endemic species include Taraire, Harakeke, Lemonwood, Hebe and New Zealand Oak; Some naturalized plant species include, Wandering Jew, tall Verbena, Black Nightshade, and Bridal Veil creeper; lastly, some indigenous non endemic plant species include, New Zealand Celery, Fireweed, and small flowered Nightshade. The insect Siphanta acuta has an interesting sucking mouth part to feed from, this rod like appendage helps to suck up plant nutrient from the phloem. While feeding it also excretes excess honeydew and flicks it away.

Predators and Parasitoids
Due to Siphanta acuta being a small insect it is likely that bigger predators like that of bird, spider or other insect species eat this creature. The steel blue ladybird, Halmus chalybeus (beetle, coleoptera: Coccinellidae), is recorded as one of the predators to this species. The steel blue ladybird is also of Australian origin, is is known to eat the eggs, laid by Siphanta acuta.

Siphanta acuta has two known parasitoids, both of which originate from Australia. There is the Australian wasp Aphanomerus pusillus (Platygasteridae) that infects the eggs, and the parasitoid Dryinus koebelei ( Dryinidae), which infects the nymphs of Siphanta acuta, as well as the grey planthopper. The Dryinus koebelei larvae attaches itself to underneath one of the planthoppers wing bud, where it will develop into a wasp larvae, after this, it will leave the dead nymph to continue its life cycle stage to pupate in a cocoon.





Other information about Siphanta acuta
Many orchardists worry about this insect on their crops due to a bacterial disease called fire blight. Siphanta acuta can contract and transfer across plant individuals. If they are becoming a pest in the garden, or on crops you can try to avoid growing susceptible plants, or use a recommended pesticide. No pathogens are known to attack of infect Siphanta acuta.