The Insect of the Week (100) is the genus Leptocentrus (lepto=thin or fine, centrus=central). The name refers to the long, thin spine that extends from the pronotum to the apex of the abdomen. Membracidae, with their ca. 428 genera and ca. 3450 species, is far and away the largest of the three families of treehoppers in the superfamily Membracoidea. The distribution of Membracidae is an interesting one. There are 9 subfamilies and all but one, Centrotinae, are found only in the new world. The ancestors of present-day Centrotinae migrated to the old world where they proliferated, particularly in the Afro- and Asian tropics. Larvae and adults are obligate feeders on plant phloem, most being polyphagous. Membracidae are true bugs, and some species can be serious pests of cultivated crops. They use their stylets to pierce the plant and imbibe phloem. Also, most species oviposit into plant tissue. Both actions can lead to bacterial infections at the site of penetration. Like many Auchenorrhynchan Hemiptera, membracids excrete “honeydew” a sugar laden substance on which ants feed. Ants, in turn, protect the membracids against attacks by predators and parasitoids, a classic example of mutualism.
Membracids are noisy little bugs, using bioacoustics for several purposes. Adult males call to attract females for mating. Nymphs (larvae) call to draw attention to the presence of potential enemies, and females (mothers) react to the call. Sounds are also used to alert siblings of productive feeding sites. Here is an example of a call made by a Leptocentrus species; http://treehoppers.insectmuseum.org/public/public_content/show/15105. Well, not exactly as beautiful as that of a songbird but it seems to do the trick. Some species deserve special mention in the field of membracid songs. The URL immediately below has dozens of examples including an Oxyrhachis percussion that might get you out of your seat and onto the dancefloor. Copy and paste the following URL and select Oxyrhachis from the list. You won’t be disappointed. http://treehoppers.insectmuseum.org/public/site/treehoppers/home/sounds
The quality of 3D modelling of biological specimens has increased greatly in the past few years and membracids, with their quirky accoutrement, make excellent 3D models. Here is such a model of Leptocentrus. Very cool. https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/leptocentrus-sp-51e3474dac7e48df97ac57a2f331606c
The Treehoppers website has all you might wish to know about this remarkable insect family. http://treehoppers.insectmuseum.org/public/site/treehoppers/home
Carl Stål (1833 –1878) who described the genus Leptocentrus was a Swedish entomologist specializing in Hemiptera (true bugs). He was born at Karlberg Castle (you may not know that the castle is the burial site of Pompe, the dog of King Charles XII). Stål studied medicine at Uppsala University (it seems that many famous entomologists studied medicine or entered the clergy before switching to entomology or natural history). In any case, Stål turned to entomology and completed a Ph.D. at the University of Jena. He was hired by the Zoological Department of the Swedish Museum of Natural History in Stockholm. A large part of his work involved the study of insects collected in Caffraria. For obvious reasons that name was eventually dropped and is now part of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. In all, Stål described over 1000 new genera (this datum was plucked from the internet and I find it hard to believe) and over 1500 new species during his career. Although considered the world's foremost worker on Hemiptera, he also published on other insect groups.
The attached image is probably that of Leptocentrus confusus Distant, a species that has been collected several times in Kenya. You may remember Distant as the author of the Tingidae lace bug genus Dulinus, the Insect of the Week (80). William Lucas Distant (1845-1922) was an English entomologist. Like his father and brother, both of whom were seagoing captains, Distant travelled in exotic places, in his case South Africa and Malaysia. These trips sharpened his appreciation for and interest in biological diversity, which led to his securing an Appointment to the Natural History Museum, London. Shortly before his death, he sold his collection of 50,000 specimens to the Museum. During his scientific career, Distant described 15 genera and more than 100 species.