Plant hoppers are insects of the infraorder Fulgoromorpha, which consists of some 12,500 described species worldwide. The name comes from their resemblance to leaves and other plant parts and from the fact that they often jump in a similar way to that of grasshoppers. These animals are feeding on plant sap and are therefore often vectors for plant diseases which are transmitted in the process.
The new species was found at La Selva Biological Station in Costa Rica on palms. It was names after the lead authors wife, Luz Denia Bahder.
For the experts: An ongoing survey to document planthopper diversity on palms (Arecaceae) is being conducted in Costa Rica. During these efforts a new species of derbid planthopper belonging to the genus Agoo was found on Astrocaryum alatum Loomis in the Heredia province at La Selva Biological Station and is described here as Agoo luzdenia Bahder & Bartlett sp. n., bringing the genus to four described taxa—A. dahliana, A. luzdenia Bahder & Bartlett sp. n., A rubrimarginata, and A. xavieri. Sequence data for the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and 18S genes was generated for the novel taxon and strongly supports its placement in the genus Agoo.
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