Cercopidae Leach, 1815

Suborder: Cicadomorpha

Identification: all European species are easily recognized by the remarkable black and red coloration (red color is rarely absent).

Ecology: adults on grasses, herbs or trees. Larvae live in spittle masses in the soil or litter layer, where they suck on xylem in roots.

Key

1a Outer margin of forewings red -> Haematoloma dorsata

1b Outer margin of forewings black -> 2

2a Wings with only a posterior red band on its forewings (rarely reduced to one or two red spots) -> Triecphorella geniculata

2b Wings with a broad or smaller red band on its forewings (rarely absent) and two red spots on each wing (Cercopis) -> 3

3a Posterior red band on forewings broad, strongly curved -> Cercopis vulnerata

3b Posterior red band on forewings narrower, slightly curved -> 4

4a Knee red -> Cercopis intermedia

4b Legs completely black -> 5

5a Ventral plates of connexivum completely red, body in dorsal view broad ovoid -> Cercopis arcuata*

5b Ventral plates of connexivum usually with a black spot on each plate (rarely absent), body in dorsal view elongate ovoid -> Cercopis sanguinolenta

*The doutbfull species Cercopis sabaudiana is not included in the key, see for the differences with C. arcuata its description on the species-page.