Species Phaconeura pluto Fennah, 1973

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• Phaconeura pluto Fennah, R.G. 1973. Three new cavernicolous species of Fulgoroidea (Homoptera) from Mexico and Western Australia. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 86(38): 439-446 [444].

  Type data:

   Holotype ANIC ♂ (coll.: 25.xi.1972, J. Lowry), Quandong Cave, Nambung National Park, Western Australia.

Introduction

This was the first cave-adapted species of Phaconeura described from Australia. Hoch (1990) examined further specimens from neighbouring caves in Nambung National Park, Western Austraila, and found no differences between the populations in the different caves.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

WA: Swan Coastal Plain (SWA)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: cave dweller, phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

Small species (2.3–2.5 mm) with body, legs and tegmen white. Tegmen reduced in length, not covering tip of abdomen, venation variable and partly vanishing. Wings vestigial. Compound eyes and ocelli absent. Median carina of vertex and frons absent. Hoch (1990) provides a description and illustrations of the male and female genitalia as well as head and tegmen.

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 [200]

History of changes