Machaerotidae

The Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea) comprise a small, distinct and interesting group of insects mainly inhabiting the Old World tropics. The adult often has a long, free and spine-like process originating at the scutellum and is thus superficially similar to the Membracidae. Its tegmen or forewing, like typical bugs of the suborder Heteroptera, always has a distinct, membranous apical area. The nymph constructs a calcareous tube on some woody dicotyledons and immerses itself in a rather clear fluid excretion inside the tube. The tube strongly resembles the shell of certain serpulid sea worms or helicoid land snails and contain no less than 75% calcium carbonate. This habit is quite uncommon in the class Insecta and markedly different from that of typical cercopoids or spittlebugs, which make and live in a froth mass either below or above ground.