Genus Thaumatoscopus Kirkaldy, 1906

Thaumatoscopus galeatus Kirkaldy, type species of Thaumatoscopus Kirkaldy.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Thaumatoscopus Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [462].

  Type species:

   Thaumatoscopus galeatus Kirkaldy, 1906 by monotypy.

Introduction

T. galeatus from North Queensland and the Northern Territory is the only Australian species of the genus and it also occurs in Papua New Guinea and Merino (1936) included some species from the Philippines. T. galeatus is larger than the otherwise similar species of Vulturnus and has a more expansive crown. Evans (1972) notes that the genus is well represented in BPBM with specimens from Papua New Guinea and it may well be a primarily New Guinean genus with an extension of one species into North Queensland.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NT, Qld: Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Allied to Gypona Germar; somewhat of the form of Ledropsis, but more fragile, and shorter. Head a trifle narrower than the anterior margin of pronotum; vertex transverse, foliaceous, prodated well in front of eyes, very thin in profile. Ocelli small, discal, situated just above the imaginary line joining anterior margin of eyes. Pronotum transverse, lightly transversely striate, middle three-fifths of anterior margin truncate, posterior margin only a slightly sinuate. Scutellum transverse, lightly transversely striate (Kirkaldy 1906).

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2008) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the Tribe Penthimiini occurring in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/penthimiini/penth00.htm

Diagnosis References

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [462]

General References

Evans, J.W. 1972. Characteristics and relationships of the Penthimiinae and some new genera and new species from New Guinea and Australia; also new species of Drabescinae from New Guinea and Australia. Pacific Insects 14(1): 169-200 [187]

Merino, G. 1936. Philippine Cicadellidae (Homoptera). Philippine Journal of Science 61: 307-400

History of changes