Issus coleoptratus

Issus coleoptratus is a common insect found in Britain. It is a species of planthopper, that is 5.5mm-7mm in length. The coloration of this insect can vary from light brown and olive to nearly black. There is only one generation per year. These insects are unable to fly, unlike most of this family. They feed on the phloem of different trees, such as lime trees, oaks, maples, birches, elms and hazels.

Issidae is a family of 'planthoppers' described by Spinola in 1839, belonging to the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha and infraorder Fulgoromorpha.

Species of this family are present in most of Europe, in the eastern Palearctic ecozone, in the Near East and in North Africa.

Issidae are small insects and generally have a short and round body. Basic body coloration is not striking, usually being brownish colors. The head has two ocelli. The forewings have strong pronounced ribs. They wrap around the abdomen when the insect is at rest. The family includes approximately 1000 species with 215 genera, but the systematics of Issidae remain uncertain.

The nymphs of this insect have a small gear-like structure on each of their hind legs. These gears have teeth that intermesh, keeping the legs synchronized when the insect jumps. If the legs are not synchronized, the insect may spiral when it jumps. These gears are the first fully-functioning interlocking gears discovered in the natural world. The insects shed this gear before moulting into adults.