The species was described by Masayo Kato in Taiwan in 1929, and is the only member of its genus confirmed to be native to the island.

L. meliae undergoes four instar stages before achieving adulthood and generally only survive until the winter.

L. meliae is a species in the genus Lycorma, in the planthopper family Fulgoridae, subfamily Aphaeninae.

[3] The head is short, broad, and angled upward; it ranges from a brown to black.

These sections are covered in black and brown spots that vary in size, and sometimes have a white powdery appearance.

[3] They begin as bright red with black spots, then transition to reddish brown, brown, deep green, and ending at a dark blue, while the spots gradually transition from black to white.

[3] L. meliae is similar in appearance to and has sometimes been mistaken for Lycorma delicatula, but they can be differentiated based upon coloration and eye structure.

[4][5] L. meliae lays its egg clusters, coated in a waxy layer, during the late fall to early winter seasons.