Genus Haplodelphax Kirkaldy, 1907

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• Haplodelphax Kirkaldy, G.W. 1907. Leafhoppers — Supplement (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 3: 1-186 [145].

  Type species:

   Haplodelphax iuncicola Kirkaldy, 1907 by original designation.

Introduction

An Australian genus of four described species. H. iuncicola is quite common along the eastern coast and neighbouring regions of Austraila. Kirkaldy (1907), in creating the genus, noted that there were "two species, of which I have seen only females". He followed this with the description of three species. He may have written "two" instead of "three" by mistake which would mean that only female syntypes exist for all three species. Alternatively, he may have meant that he had seen females only of two of the three species but, if this is the case, it is unclear to which species he refers since he mentions females but not males in his descriptions of all three species. It is for only H. euronotianus that he specifically states that he had seen females only. It is therefore possible that male syntypes may exist for one of the other two species described by Kirkaldy (1907).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld, Vic: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Nandewar (NAN), Riverina (RIV) ; NSW, Qld, Vic, WA: Sydney Basin (SB), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Victorian Midlands (VM), Warren (WAR)

Diagnosis

Allied to Megamelus; characterised by the structure of the vertex and by the radial vein not being forked. Head dorsally longer than wide, produced in front of the eyes, apically rounded, the lateral and anterolateral keels being just interior to the apparent margins; within this is a keeled triangle, the acute anterior angle touching the anterior margin of the head; there is also a median keel which forks a little anterior of the middle, the short branches meeting the sides of the triangle a little anterior of its middle. Frons nearly twice as long as wide, lateral margins gently rounded; there is a strong median keel which meets the base without forking; apical margin angulate; basally a little of the vertex is visible laterally. Antennae short, subcylindric, not reaching apex of clypeus, second segment about twice as long as the first. Genae triangular, the apex blunt, that is to say, the median keels do not touch the lateral keels of the frons apically. Clypeus tricarinate. Pronotum tricarinate, lateral keels fairly straight, diverging posteriorly, usually not quite reaching the posterior margin. Scutellum tricarinate. Dimorphic as regards the tegmina; with the brachial vein in the long-winged form forking close to the subapical line, the radial not forked; there are 6 apical cells, the first small, sometimes divided. Tibiae apically with 5 spines of irregular size; spur of usual form, with 10 spines. First segment of hind tarsi longer than second and third together. (Kirkaldy 1907)

History of changes