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Species Profile

Brazilian Treehopper

Bocydium globulare

Tiny bug, wild helmet.
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Brazilian Treehopper Distribution

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Found in 8 countries

🇧🇷 Brazil 🇨🇴 Colombia 🇪🇨 Ecuador 🇬🇫 French Guiana 🇬🇾 Guyana 🇵🇪 Peru 🇸🇷 Suriname 🇻🇪 Venezuela
Brazilian Treehopper

At a Glance

Wild Species
Diet Herbivore
Activity Diurnal
Lifespan 3 years
Weight 2.0E-5 lbs
Status Not Evaluated
Did You Know?

It's a true bug (Hemiptera), not a beetle or fly-its mouthparts are a piercing-sucking beak (rostrum).

Scientific Classification

Bocydium globulare is a Neotropical treehopper (a sap-feeding true bug) famous for its highly modified pronotum forming a distinctive “helmet” with stalks and bulb-like tips. Like other treehoppers, it feeds on plant sap using piercing-sucking mouthparts.

Kingdom
Animalia
Phylum
Arthropoda
Class
Insecta
Order
Hemiptera
Family
Membracidae
Genus
Bocydium
Species
globulare

Distinguishing Features

  • Small hemipteran insect with an exaggerated, ornate pronotum (helmet)
  • Stalk-and-sphere projections extending above the body (iconic silhouette)
  • Sap-feeding true bug with piercing-sucking rostrum
  • Wings held roof-like over the abdomen when at rest

Physical Measurements

Length
0 in (0 in – 0 in)
Weight
0 lbs (0 lbs – 0 lbs)

Appearance

Primary Colors
Brown Black
Secondary Colors
Cream Yellow
Skin Type Chitinous exoskeleton (sclerotized cuticle) with a strongly modified, rigid pronotum forming an exaggerated 'helmet'; forewings are leathery at the base with membranous portions typical of Hemiptera.
Distinctive Features
  • Hemipteran true bug with piercing-sucking rostrum for plant-sap feeding (Membracidae treehopper ecology).
  • Extremely modified pronotum ('helmet') characteristic of Bocydium: multiple thin stalks projecting dorsally/laterally, each ending in rounded, globular bulb-like tips (the feature that makes the species famous).
  • Compact body with large lateral compound eyes; short antennae typical of treehoppers.
  • Wings held roof-like over the abdomen when at rest; translucent to smoky wings with visible venation.
  • Neotropical/Brazil-associated treehopper appearance: pronotal ornamentation far exceeds body length/height visually, creating a 'spidery chandelier' silhouette used for species recognition in the genus.

Did You Know?

It's a true bug (Hemiptera), not a beetle or fly-its mouthparts are a piercing-sucking beak (rostrum).

The "helmet" is an extreme enlargement of the pronotum (the segment behind the head), a hallmark of treehoppers (Membracidae).

Adults are small: commonly reported around ~0.6-0.8 cm body length (excluding the pronotal processes); the ornate pronotum makes it look much larger.

The species name globulare refers to the globe-like tips on its pronotal stalks (Latin globulus = "small sphere").

Like other sap-feeding hemipterans, it produces sugar-rich honeydew that can attract ants and other insects (ant attendance is common in Membracidae, though not always documented species-by-species).

Its odd silhouette is often interpreted by predators as plant debris or a twig-and-gall structure, helping it avoid detection.

Unique Adaptations

  • Extreme pronotal "helmet": an enlarged, sculptured pronotum forming multiple stalks with bulb-like tips-an exaggerated version of the defensive/masquerade pronotum seen across Membracidae.
  • Masquerade camouflage: the helmet's complex outline can mimic plant galls, thorns, or debris, reducing recognition by visually hunting predators.
  • Hemipteran feeding toolkit: a strong, needle-like stylet bundle within the rostrum enables penetration of plant tissues and sustained sap intake.
  • Neotropical specialization: part of a lineage (Bocydium and relatives) best known from tropical forests, where intricate plant-mimicking morphologies are especially diverse.

Interesting Behaviors

  • Plant-sap feeding: inserts its rostrum into plant tissue (typically targeting nutrient-rich sap) and feeds for long periods while remaining largely motionless-an energy-saving, stealthy strategy typical of treehoppers.
  • Honeydew excretion: excess sugars are expelled as droplets; in many membracids this supports mutualisms with ants (ants harvest honeydew and may deter predators). Specific ant partners for B. globulare are not well quantified in the literature.
  • Stillness and posture: adults often align their body and pronotal processes with stems/branches, enhancing masquerade as plant parts rather than an animal.
  • Life cycle pattern typical of Membracidae: eggs are inserted into plant tissue; nymphs are wingless and molt through multiple instars before becoming winged adults. Published, species-specific duration (egg-to-adult) for B. globulare is not reliably established.

Cultural Significance

Bocydium globulare is strongly associated with Brazil and the Neotropics in popular natural-history media, frequently used in outreach to showcase the diversity of tropical insects and the dramatic pronotal "helmets" of treehoppers (Membracidae). Specimens and illustrations also appear in museum collections and naturalist art as examples of extreme insect morphology.

Myths & Legends

No well-documented traditional folklore is widely recorded specifically about Bocydium globulare; unlike many large vertebrates, small hemipterans rarely enter formal myth cycles by species name.

Naming-origin anecdote: the epithet globulare ("globular") reflects the helmet's globe-like tips-an example of how early naturalists often named insects directly from striking morphology.

Online story: pictures of the Brazilian Treehopper (Bocydium globulare) are shared as 'alien' or 'robot' insects, a modern idea showing how strange tropical bugs look to people far from their homes.

Conservation Status

NE Not Evaluated

Has not yet been evaluated against the criteria.

Population Unknown

Life Cycle

Birth 30 nymphs
Lifespan 3 years

Lifespan

In the Wild
2–5 years
In Captivity
2–4 years

Reproduction

Mating System Data Deficient
Social Structure Transient
Breeding Pattern Transient
Fertilization Internal Fertilization
Birth Type Internal_fertilization

No specific mating data exist for Bocydium globulare. As a treehopper, it likely mates by internal fertilization on its host plant, lays eggs in plant tissue, mates briefly when meeting other adults, and has no reported parental care.

Behavior & Ecology

Social Aggregation Group: 1
Activity Diurnal
Diet Herbivore Phloem sap from actively growing (young) shoots/petioles of its host plant(s) (species-specific host records for Bocydium globulare are not well documented in accessible primary literature; feeding mode is the conserved membracid condition).

Temperament

Cryptic and wary (relies on camouflage/helmet morphology and stillness; readily disperses by walking/jumping/flight when disturbed)
Non-aggressive toward conspecifics; adult interactions not known to include cooperative behaviors in published accounts for this species
Nymph stage in Membracidae often more gregarious than adults; for B. globulare specifically, degree of gregariousness is not quantified in the literature

Communication

substrate-borne vibrational signaling through plant stems Typical of Membracidae; used in mate finding/courtship and sometimes parent-offspring interactions; see Cocroft & Rodriguez 2005; Cocroft 2006 for family-level evidence
chemical cues/pheromones are common in Hemiptera for mate/location and may occur here, but Bocydium globulare-specific pheromone identification has not been published
tactile signaling/antennation during close contact General hemipteran behavior; not specifically quantified for B. globulare

Habitat

Rainforest Forest Woodland
Biomes:
Tropical Rainforest
Terrain:
Plains Riverine Hilly
Elevation: Up to 3937 ft

Ecological Role

Phloem-sap-feeding herbivore in Neotropical forest plant communities; honeydew producer that can mediate ant-insect interactions.

Provides honeydew as a carbohydrate resource supporting ants and other sugar-feeding insects (indirectly influencing arthropod community structure) Acts as a plant-juice herbivore that can affect host-plant carbon allocation and local plant vigor through sustained phloem extraction Serves as prey/host for predators and parasitoids (e.g., spiders, predatory insects, and hymenopteran parasitoids) in tropical food webs

Diet Details

Other Foods:
Phloem sap Honeydew

Human Interaction

Domestication Status

Wild

Bocydium globulare (Brazilian treehopper; Hemiptera: Membracidae) is a wild Neotropical sap-feeding insect with no domestication history. It is seen in the field, photos, and museum collections. Adults have a strange helmet-like pronotum with stalks and bulb tips. Exact life-history numbers are poorly known. Humans mostly interact with it in science and education, not as a major pest.

Danger Level

Low
  • Does not sting and is not known to be medically significant.
  • May cause minor, transient skin irritation if mishandled (general arthropod handling risk).
  • Not known as an important human disease vector.

As a Pet

Not Suitable as Pet

Legality: Brazilian Treehopper (Bocydium globulare) is usually not listed as a pet, but local laws or protected-area rules may ban collecting or owning them; export/import often needs permits. Check rules first.

Care Level: Expert Only

Purchase Cost: Up to $25
Lifetime Cost: $10 - $150

Economic Value

Uses:
Scientific research (taxonomy, morphology, biomechanics) Education and outreach Nature photography / ecotourism interest Museum and reference collections
Products:
  • no commercial products typical; value is primarily informational (specimens, images, research data)

Relationships

Predators 7

Jumping spider
Jumping spider Salticidae
Orb-weaver spider
Orb-weaver spider Araneidae
Assassin bug
Assassin bug Reduviidae
Praying mantis
Praying mantis Mantodea
Insectivorous birds
Insectivorous birds Passeriformes
Parasitoid wasps Dryinidae
Egg parasitoid wasp Mymaridae

Related Species 3

Brazilian Treehopper
Brazilian Treehopper Bocydium tintinnabuliferum Shared Genus
Leaf-mimic Treehopper Membracis foliata Shared Family
Thorn bug Umbonia crassicornis Shared Family

Ecological Equivalents 4

Animals that fill a similar ecological role in their ecosystem

Thorn bug Umbonia crassicornis Neotropical membracid that feeds on plant sap via piercing–sucking mouthparts and is frequently tended by ants because it produces honeydew; occupies plant-stem/shrub microhabitats and relies on an exaggerated pronotum and crypsis as anti-predator strategies.
Leaf-mimic Treehopper Membracis foliata Sap-feeding treehopper in the same family that often forms aggregations and interacts with ants. Plays a similar ecological role as a phloem-feeder, contributing honeydew to mutualists and being targeted by predators and parasitoids typical of Membracidae.
Aetalionid Treehopper Aetalion reticulatum Common Neotropical sap-feeding hemipteran frequently tended by ants and found on woody hosts. Its comparable trophic role (phloem feeder and honeydew producer) and exposed-stem lifestyle create similar predator and parasitoid pressures.
Planthoppers Fulgoroidea Different hemipteran lineage, but strongly overlaps in niche: feeds on plant sap via piercing-sucking stylets, produces honeydew, and is susceptible to many of the same generalist predators (spiders, birds, mantids) and specialist parasitoids.

Brazilian Treehoppers are insects from the Membracidae family, of the Hemiptera order of true bugs. They have a distinct cluster of ball-shaped growths on their back, which gives them an intimidating appearance, though they are only the size of a pea and feed on sap. They are not endangered and can be found on many continents.

Brazilian Treehopper Facts

  • The Brazilian Treehopper has what appears to be a “helmet” of balls on its head. This structure grows out of the pronotum, which is part of the thorax just behind the head.
  • They are very small, averaging about 5-6mm in length.
  • Like cicadas, they feed on sap.
  • As their bodies process the sap, Brazilian Treehoppers create a sugar-like substance called “honeydew” which other insects (such as ants) can eat. The insects then protect this source of food from predators.
  • The females stay with the eggs after they’re laid in the stem of a leaf. They then protect the nymphs as they grow.
  • They communicate with their kind by sending vibrations through the tree they’re in. They can call others to a particularly good feeding spot or warn of predators.
  • Alfred Keller, a sculptor employed by the Berlin Museum of Natural History from 1930 until his death in 1955, created a model of the Brazilian Treehopper out of papier mache, magnified 100 times. His models could take up to a year to produce.

Brazilian Treehopper Species, Types, and Scientific Name

The scientific name of the Brazilian Treehopper is Bocydium globulare because of the globular growths on the insect’s back. Most species of treehopper have some kind of structure on their backs, but the Brazilian Treehopper is unique in its cluster of ball-like structures.

Appearance: How to Identify the Brazilian Treehopper

Brazilian Tree Hopper

Though they cannot bite, treehoppers can carry diseases from one tree to another.

©KAISARMUDA/Shutterstock.com

Clearly, the most distinguishing feature of the Brazilian Treehopper is its “helmet.” The cluster of globes above its head is unique, and scientists are still trying to understand its evolutionary function, though many assume it is to deter predators. Apart from its distinctive headgear, the Brazilian Treehopper most closely resembles a pea-sized black, white, and tan cicada (another sap-sucking insect.)

Habitat: Where to Find the Brazilian Treehopper

Treehoppers are known to be on every continent. Brazilian Treehoppers are found in the tropical forests of Africa, Asia, North America, South America, and Australia. They prefer to live in the top branches of leafy trees where they can feed.

Prevention: How to Get Rid of Brazilian Treehoppers

Though they cannot bite, treehoppers can carry diseases from one tree to another. If they are found to be infesting cargo, the U.S. Animal Plant Health Inspection Service may direct the cargo company to fumigate the ship or destroy the cargo.

Diet: What Do Brazilian Treehoppers Eat?

Brazilian Treehoppers feed on the sap of leaves. When the female lays eggs, she lays them in the stem of a leaf and bores holes into it so the nymphs can feed when they hatch.

Similar Insects to Brazilian Treehoppers

Like Brazilian Treehoppers, Cicadas are also from the Hemiptera order, and the nymphs feed on tree sap. Underneath the structure on the pronotum, the body of a treehopper even resembles that of a tiny cicada.

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Sources

  1. Tree Hugger / Autumn Spanne / Published November 24, 2021 / Accessed October 17, 2022
  2. Blogs@VT / Hannah-Marie Spehar / Accessed October 17, 2022
  3. NC Museum of Natural Sciences Research Blog / jasoncryan / Published June 26, 2012 / Accessed October 17, 2022
  4. Smithsonian / John Barrat / Published August 28, 2017 / Accessed October 17, 2022
  5. Why Evolution Is True / Published November 26, 2010 / Accessed October 17, 2022
  6. Smithsonian Magazine / Katherine J. Wu / Published December 9, 2019 / Accessed October 17, 2022
  7. Insect Museum / Accessed October 17, 2022
Rob Amend

About the Author

Rob Amend

Rob Amend is a writer at A-Z Animals, primarily covering meteorology, geology, geography, and animal oddities. He attained a Master's Degree in Library Science in 2000 and served as reference librarian in an urban public library for 22 years. Rob lives in Cincinnati, Ohio, and enjoys spending time with his family, hiking, photography, woodworking, listening to classic rock, and watching classic films—his favorite animal is a six-foot-tall rabbit named Harvey.

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Brazilian Treehopper FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

Despite their fierce appearance, treehoppers can not bite, and they have no stinger. These tiny insects have a small strawlike mouth used to drink sap from leaves. They are quite harmless to humans. They can, however, carry diseases across tree populations, which has the potential to impact our food supply.

View Brazilian Treehopper Photos