The oldest known Lophopidae planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from the European Palaeocene

Cintux menatensis nov. gen., nov. sp., the oldest representative of the planthopper family Lophopidae, is described based on the specimen from the Palaeocene of Menat (Auvergne, France). The formerly proposed evolutionary relationship of the family is reviewed in the light of the record of lophopids in European deposits. The biogeographic pattern and host plant relationships of these insects are briefly discussed. The taphonomic features of the fossil specimen are examined under Low Vacuum SEM and the results of X-Ray EDS analysis are presented.