Species Phaconeura mopamea Hoch, 1990

Museums

Regional Maps

• Phaconeura mopamea Hoch, H. 1990. Cavernicolous Meenoplidae of the genus Phaconeura (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from Australia. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 30: 188-203 [192].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM ♂ (coll: 28.v.1985, F.G. Howarth), "Grand Canyon", Carpentaria Cave, Carpentaria Tower, Mungana National Park, Chillagoe, Queensland.

Introduction

This is an obligate troglobitic species living in the permanently dark zones of caves in the Chillagoe karst. Some variation in the anal segment may be of taxonomic significance but examination of more material is needed to determine that (Hoch 1990).

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Einasleigh Uplands (EIU)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: cave dweller, phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

P. mopamea differs from the epigean species of the P. smithi group and from the facultative cavernicolous P. minyamea Hoch in characters that have undergone alteration during cave adaptation: complete reduction of compound eyes, ocelli, tegmina, wings and body pigment. It is distinguished from other cave-adapted Phaconeura species by the characteristic shape of the aedeagus (Hoch 1990).

Diagnosis References

Hoch, H. 1990. Cavernicolous Meenoplidae of the genus Phaconeura (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from Australia. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 30: 188-203 [192–195]

History of changes