Species Aconophora compressa Walker, 1851

Museums

Regional Maps

• Aconophora compressa Walker, F. 1851. List of the Specimens of Homopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum (Natural History) Vol. 2 pp. 261-636. [541].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♂ (presented by E.P. Coffin, esq.), Mexico.

 

Introduction

The Lantana Treehopper was introduced to Australia from its native Mexico in 1995 as a biological control agent of weedy species of Lantana L. (Verbenaceae). Its release sites were in SE Queensland and it has since been recorded as far south as Ballina in NE New South Wales where it has had moderate success in good seasons causing dieback of lantana thickets. It has also been found to seriously damage the ornamental tree Fiddlewood, Citharexylum spinosum L. (Verbenaceae).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Introduced from Mexico, 1995.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld: South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder (associated flora: Lantana camara Linnaeus [VERBENACEAE]).

 

Diagnosis

Picea; caput nigricans; pectus et abdomen nigra; pedes ferruginei; femora nigro vittata; alae subfuscae.
Pitchy, thickly clothed with yellow down; head blackish, transverse, of moderate length, nearly as broad as the fore-chest, very slightly convex along the hind border, tawny on each side of the notch in front; fore-chest thickly and minutely punctured, ridged in front and at the tip, slightly impressed on each side near the fore border, prolonged in front of the head into a conical, hardly ascending, much compressed horn, with a rather broad blackish rim, its length is much less than twice its breadth; hind part extending a little beyond the tip of the abdomen, slightly attenuated towards the tip, which is very acute; breast and abdomen black; legs ferruginous; thighs streaked with black; hind tibiae beset with minute spines, whose tips are black; wings pale brown; fore-wings slightly punctured at the base; veins pitchy; areolets long. Length of the body 3 lines; of the wings 6½ lines (Walker 1851).

 

Diagnosis References

Walker, F. 1851. List of the Specimens of Homopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum (Natural History) Vol. 2 pp. 261-636. [541]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
26-Jun-2023	MEMBRACOIDEA	26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED
26-Jun-2023	MEMBRACIDAE Germar, 1821	24-May-2023	MODIFIED
10-May-2022	CICADOMORPHA	26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED
02-Jun-2021	AUCHENORRHYNCHA	26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED
16-May-2012		26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED
26-Apr-2012		26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED
		26-Jun-2023	MODIFIED