Auchenorrhyncha (Hemiptera) from Crete deposited at the Natural History Museum of Crete

Crete, the largest island in Greece, is characterised by its diverse landscapes, ranging from coastal ecosystems to high-altitude mountain ranges. Its complex geological history, Mediterranean climate and varied vegetation types have contributed to a rich and unique biodiversity, including numerous endemic species. These environmental factors create favourable conditions for the diversification of insect fauna, including members of the suborder Auchenorrhyncha.Auchenorrhyncha are sap-feeding insects within the order Hemiptera. They are divided into two major infraorders: Cicadomorpha and Fulgoromorpha. According to published records, the Auchenorrhyncha fauna of Crete includes two families from the superfamily Cercopoidea - Cercopidae with one species and Aphrophoridae with four species - along with the superfamilies Cicadoidea (1 family, 3 species) and Membracoidea (1 family, 75 species), all of which belong to Cicadomorpha (83 in total). The infraorder Fulgoromorpha, distinct from the aforementioned group, has 57 species across seven families. In total, 140 species of Auchenorrhyncha have been recorded on the Island.

An analysis of 2,849 specimens from over 400 localities in Crete, housed at the Natural History Museum of Crete (NHMC), revealed 93 Auchenorrhyncha species across 10 families, representing approximatley 64% of the Island's known fauna. Despite limitations in sampling methods, 37 species were newly recorded for Crete, 10 of which are also new to Greece and 13 genera were reported from Crete for the first time. The Island's known Auchenorrhyncha fauna now totals 177 species, underscoring the importance of museum collections and continued entomological research. Additionally, an updated checklist of the Auchenorrhyncha in Crete is provided as supplementary material.