Homoptera

9.9

An old group of insects like aphids, cicadas, leafhoppers, and whiteflies that scientists now place in other groups

noun
/həˈmɒptərə/

Archaic

: Homóptera

Aphids are part of the order Homoptera, known for their plant-feeding habits.

Examples

Scientists study Homoptera to understand their role in agriculture and ecosystems.
The Homoptera include insects like cicadas and leafhoppers that often affect crops.
Of these 34 North American species (17 Homoptera, 15 Hymenoptera, 6 Lepidoptera, 4 Coleoptera, 1 Thysanoptera, and 1 Diptera), most have followed their introduced North American host plants, except for five broadly polyphagous species.

Academic text (1996)

Synonyms

suborder Homoptera

vsHomoptera

Archaic

9.9

A former group of insects like aphids, cicadas, and leafhoppers that suck plant sap

refers to a former order now usually split into other groups like Hemiptera

Compounds

suborder Homoptera

Archaic

9.9

A former group of insects like aphids, cicadas, and leafhoppers that suck plant sap

Surface Forms

Homoptera singular

Homopteras plural

Morphology

Homoptera = homo + ptera

A scientific taxonomic formation from classical combining stems ('homo-' + '-ptera'); these are not standalone English words, so a typical B1 learner cannot reliably derive the meaning from the parts.

Etymology

Homoptera comes from Greek parts homo- meaning 'same' and -ptera meaning 'wings', so it was the name for insects that were thought to have very similar wings. That's why the name fit groups like aphids and cicadas, although scientists now usually divide them among other groups such as Hemiptera.