Taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera:Cixiidae)

Abstract

Planthoppers of the family Cixiidae Spinola, 1839 are economically important owing to their ability to transmit phytoplasmas causing yellows-type diseases. The tribe Gelastocephalini Emeljanov, one of 16 tribes within the subfamily Cixiinae, has never been revised comprehensively. Twenty new genera (Aubirestus, Balyadimetopia, Barbonia, Candicarina, Corylonga, Fletcherolus, Gelastocaledonia, Gurrundus, Guttala, Hartliebia, Holgus, Larivierea, Lipsia, Melanoclypeus, Novotarberus, Payastylus, Rokebia, Schuerrera, Wernindia, Yarnikada) and 50 new species (Aubirestus semicirculatus, Balyadimetopia frederi, B. krahalla, B. marci, Barbonia spectabilis, Candicarina geroldi, C. pulchra, Carolus carinatus, C. stiriae, Corylonga aaroni, C. krottendorfi, C. leighi, C. lobata, C. loisae, C. mahmudae, C. triangula, Fletcherolus lanceolatus, F. monospinosus, Gelastocaledonia monteithi, Gelastocephalus velifer, Gurrundus fuscomarginatus, G. nectostylus, Guttala bernhardtae, G. mona, G. nickeli, G. robierae, Hartliebia towinna, Holgus ancistrus, H. liafredis, H. spiralis, H. unispinosus, Larivierea yalthi, L. yokunna, Lipsia mystrostylus, Melanoclypeus cristatus, M. uncinatus, Novotarberus flagellospinosus, N. pseudorphninus, N. remanei, Payastylus brichrius, P. gekiae, P. kernae, Rokebia australis, Ronaldia emeljanovi, Schuerrera clypeocarinata, S. ecarinata, ,Wernindia bubalis, W. lorda, W. rhomboidea, Yarnikada ulliae) are described. This increases the number of known Gelastocephalini from seven to 27 genera and from nine to 60 species. A new combination, Novotarberus jacobii, is proposed for Gelastocephalus jacobii from New Caldedonia and Cixius merula was transferred into the genus Schuerrera, resulting in a new combination, Schuerrera merula. A preliminary cladistic analysis of morphological data including all species of Gelastocephalini supported the monophyly of the tribe and its genera. The short male anal style is recognised as a synapomorphy for the tribe. The subtribe Rhigedanina was shown to be monophyletic whereas Gelastocephalina is paraphyletic. Three alternative hypotheses are presented to explain the current distribution of the tribe, which is restricted to Australia and New Caledonia. The species Novotarberus jacobii and Gelastocaledonia monteithi seem to be Gondwanan relicts.

Revision of the genus Innobindus Jacobi (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae) with the description of six new species and comments on other Australian Brixiini genera

“…The morphological terms applied here are as used by Löcker et al (2006) and illustrated in Figure 1c, except for the nomenclature applied in this paper to the venation of the tegmen, which follows Anufriev and Emeljanov (1988), and differs slightly from that applied in Löcker et al (2006).…”

The Australian Pentastirini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae)

“…The morphological terms applied here are illustrated in Figs 1-2. The nomenclature applied in this paper to the ventation of the tegmen follows Anufriev & Emeljanov (1988) and differs slightly from that applied in Löcker et al (2006).…”

Tyligma gen. nov., a new Australian genus of planthopper and a key to the Australian genera of Cixiini (Hemiptera: Cixiidae)

“…Löcker et al . 2006a, 2006b, 2010; Löcker 2014, 2020a, 2020b; Löcker & Holzinger 2019) have tried to address this and have more than doubled the number of genera known from Australia and more than tripled the number of species. Whilst examining material from numerous Australian and overseas collections, we discovered specimens representing a new, monotypic genus of the tribe Cixiini.…”