Fulgoridae Checklist: Lantern Bugs
Lantern bugs or lanternflies are some of the most colourful and enigmatic subjects in the realm of macro photography. They belong to the Fulgoridae family, with the most distinct ones in Southeast Asia belonging to the genus Pyrops. Despite the common name, it is a myth that lantern bugs emit light. The myth was further propagated by Carl Linnaeus when he coined specific names such as laternaria, phosphorea and candelaria.
Most species in this page were identified with the kind assistance of Jerome Constant and Geert Goemans on Facebook. Thank you!
All photos are of live subjects shot in the field, with the lateral view selected where available. Click on individual photos for larger views and views from other angles. As specimens were not collected, identifications were done purely based on photographs and may not be 100% accurate.
This page will be updated regularly, please let me know if you spot any mistakes.
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Class: Insecta Linnaeus, 1758
Order: Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758
Superfamily: Fulgoroidea Latreille, 1807
Family: Fulgoridae Latreille, 1807
Subfamily: Aphaeninae Blanchard, 1847
Tribe: Aphaenini Blanchard, 1847
Genus: Aphaena Guérin-Méneville, 1834
Thailand: Aphaena najas Schmidt, 1906
Genus: Kalidasa Kirkaldy, 1900
Thailand: Kalidasa nigromaculata (Gray, 1832)
Genus: Penthicodes Blanchard, 1845
Thailand: Penthicodes atomaria (Weber, 1801)
Singapore: Penthicodes bimaculatus (Schmidt, 1905)
East Malaysia: Penthicodes farinosus (Weber, 1801)
East Malaysia: Penthicodes quadrimaculatus Lallemand, 1963
Genus: Scamandra Stål, 1863
East Malaysia: Scamandra polychroma Gerstaecker, 1895
East Malaysia: Scamandra rosea (Guérin-Méneville, 1834)
Tribe: Enchophorini Haupt, 1929
Genus: Enchophora Spinola, 1839
Peru: Enchophora nigromaculata Lallemand, 1938
Ecuador: Enchophora sp.
Ecuador: Enchophora viridipennis Spinola, 1839
Genus: Enhydria Walker, 1858
Peru: Enhydria sp.
Incertae sedis
Peru: cf. Flatolystra sp.2030
Subfamily: Dichopterinae Melichar, 1912
Tribe: Dichopterini Melichar, 1912
Genus: Dichoptera Spinola, 1839
Singapore: Dichoptera sp.
Subfamily: Fulgorinae Latreille, 1807
Tribe: Fulgorini Latreille, 1807
Genus: Fulgora Linnaeus, 1767
Belize: Fulgora sp.
Genus: Phrictus Spinola, 1839
Belize: Phrictus quinquepartitus Distant, 1883
Tribe: Laternariini Distant, 1906
Tribe: Pyropsini Urban & Cryan, 2009
Genus: Datua Schmidt, 1911
Datua bisinuata Schmidt, 1911
Genus: Pyrops Spinola, 1839
Thailand: Pyrops candelaria (Linnaeus, 1758)
Thailand: Pyrops clavatus (Westwood, 1839)
East Malaysia: Pyrops intricatus (Walker, 1857)
Thailand: Pyrops lathburii (Kirby, 1818)
Singapore: Pyrops cf. oculatus (Westwood, 1838)
Specimen darker than typical P. oculatus, species uncertain.
West Malaysia: Pyrops oculatus (Westwood, 1838)
West Malaysia: Pyrops pyrorhynchus (Donovan, 1800)
West Malaysia: Pyrops pyrorhynchus (Donovan, 1800)
East Malaysia: Pyrops sidereus (Distant, 1905)
Thailand: Pyrops spinolae (Westwood, 1842)
Northern morph
East Malaysia: Pyrops sultanus (Adams & White, 1847)
East Malaysia: Pyrops sultanus (Adams & White, 1847)
Thailand: Pyrops viridirostris (Westwood, 1848)
East Malaysia: Pyrops whiteheadi (Distant, 1889)
Genus: Saiva Distant, 1906
Thailand: Saiva bullata Distant, 1891
Thailand: Saiva gemmata (Westwood, 1848)
East Malaysia: Saiva transversolineata Baker, 1925
Tribe: Zannini Metcalf, 1938
Genus: Zanna Kirkaldy, 1902
Zanna terminalis is almost identical to Zanna nobilis, but can be differentiated by a swollen apical process.
West Malaysia: Zanna nobilis (Westwood, 1838)
West Malaysia: Zanna terminalis (Gerstaecker, 1895)
Subfamily: Poiocerinae Haupt, 1929
Tribe: Lystrini Spinola, 1839
Genus: Lystra Fabricius, 1803
Ecuador: Lystra pulverulenta (Olivier, 1791)
Tribe: Poiocerini Haupt, 1929
Genus: Aburia Stål, 1866
Ecuador: Aburia sp.
Ecuador: Aburia sp.
Genus: Calyptoproctus Spinola, 1839
Belize: Calyptoproctus sp.
Genus: Hypaepa Stål, 1862
Peru: Hypaepa costata (Fabricius, 1803)
Peru: Hypaepa costata (Fabricius, 1803)
Peru: Hypaepa cf. transversalis Signoret, 1863
Genus: Polydictya Guérin-Méneville, 1844
Singapore: Polydictya basalis (Hope, 1843)
Genus: Scaralis Stål, 1863
Peru: cf. Scaralis sp.
Ecuador: Scaralis cf. picta (Germar, 1830)
Ecuador: Scaralis cf. nigronotata Stål, 1863
Subfamily: Unidentified
Nymphs
Singapore: Unidentified
Singapore: Unidentified
Singapore: Unidentified
Singapore: Unidentified
West Malaysia: Fulgoridae 5796
West Malaysia: Fulgoridae 5796
Singapore: Fulgoridae 4015
Singapore: Fulgoridae 4018
Singapore: Fulgoridae 7330
Singapore: Fulgoridae 7340
Thailand: Lycorma sp. 6326
Thailand: Lycorma sp. 6333
