Ancyra (genus)

Ancyra is a genus of southeast Asian planthoppers. Members of the genus are well known for having a pair of prolonged filaments at the tips of the forewings that arise near a pair of small glossy spots; this creates the impression of a pair of antennae, with corresponding "eyes" (a remarkable case of automimicry).[1] The "false head" effect is further reinforced by the bugs' habit of walking backwards when it detects movement nearby, so as to misdirect predators to strike at its rear, rather than at its actual head.

Ancyra
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Infraorder: Fulgoromorpha
Family: Eurybrachidae
Genus: Ancyra
White, 1845

Species include:

  • A. annamensis Schmidt, 1908
  • A. appendiculata White, 1845

References

  1. Wickler, W. 1968. Mimicry in plants and animals. McGraw-Hill, New York


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