Genus Acanthuchus Stål, 1866

Acanthuchus trispinifer (Fairmaire), type species of Acanthuchus Stål.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Acanthuchus Stål, C. 1866. Hemiptera Homoptera Latr. Hemiptera Africana 4: 1-276 [87].

  Type species:

   Centrotus trispinifer Fairmaire, 1846 by subsequent designation, see Stål, C. 1866. Analecta Hemipterologica. Berliner Entomologische Zeitschrift 10: 381-394 [386].

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Acanthucus Stål, 1866. —
  Goding, F.W. 1903. A monograph of the Australian Membracidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 28: 2-41 [13] (subsequent misspelling)
• Acanthusus Stål, 1866. —
  Distant, W.L. 1916. Rhynchotal Notes. lx. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 8(18): 19-44 [27] (subsequent misspelling)

Introduction

This species currently has seven described species although a species level revision is needed to clarify the species identities and determine their distributions within Australia. The genus is mainly associated with the genus Acacia Mill. (Fabaceae).

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

ACT, NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Nandewar (NAN), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tasmanian South East (TSE), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Carina longitudinali thoracis inter vel paullo pone cornua lateralia dilatata vel in dentem altam elevata, cornubus lateralibus triquetris, acuminatis, paullo compressis; lateribus scutelli distinguendis; area tegminum intracostali tota punctata (Stål 1866).

Prothorax elevated, rising vertically from the base, furnished with an acute triquetrous horn on each side, above lateral angles; posterior process slender, more or less sinuate, the median longitudinal carina between and behind lateral horns briefly foliaceous or elevated in a high tooth or horn. Tegmina with the corium furnished with five oblong apical and two discoidal cells; costal cell extended beyond radial; the two interior longitudinal veins destitute of a transverse venule near base; clavus with two veins, gradually narrowed to apex. Wings with four apical cells. Scutellum with apex truncated, ending, on each side, in a little tooth. Tibiae and tarsi simple, not dilated (Goding 1903).

Characterised by anterior median projection on the MPP; this may be larger in the female than in the male, and in different species may take a variety of forms. Clypeus very broad. Posterior median process long, markedly sinuate, terminating near the apex of tegmen (Day 1999).

Day (1999) provided a comprehensive description of the genus.

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. and Day M. F. (2005) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the Family Membracidae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Membracidae) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/membracid/membrac00.htm [accessed: 3.iv.2012]

Diagnosis References

Day, M.F. 1999. The genera of Australian Membracidae (Hemiptera : Auchenorrhyncha). Invertebrate Taxonomy 13: 629-747 [644–646]

Goding, F.W. 1903. A monograph of the Australian Membracidae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 28: 2-41 [13]

Stål, C. 1866. Hemiptera Africana. Holmiae : Officina Norstedtiana Vol. 4 1-276, pl. 1. [87]

History of changes