Species Armacia hyalinata (Donovan, 1805)

Armacia hyalinata (Donovan), adult

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Cicada hyalinata Donovan, E. 1805. An Epitome of the Natural History of the Insects of New Holland, New Zealand, New Guinea, Otaheite, and other Islands in the Indian, Southern, and Pacific Oceans: including Figures and Descriptions of One Hundred and Fifty-three Species of the more Splendid, Beautiful, and Interesting Insects, hitherto Discovered in those Countries, and which for the most Part have not appeared in the Works of any Preceding Author. London : Rivington iv + [167] pp. + [41] pls. [Date published January] [Pl. 1].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown sex, quantity unknown (possible holotype by monotypy), "Botany Bay".

  Type locality references:

  Fletcher, M.J., Day, M.F. & Humphrey, M. 2003. The discovery of the holotype of Ledromorpha planirostris (Donovan) (Cicadellidae: Ledrinae), with notes on other Australian Auchenorrhyncha species described by Edward Donovan. General and Applied Entomology 32: 25-30 [29] (doubted the type locality stated by Donovan (1805) since other type specimens of species described in the same work from the same locality are Indonesian in origin; type specimen may be in Macleay Museum, University of Sydney).
• Ricania donovanii Spinola, M. 1839. Essai sur les Fulgorelles, sous-tribu de la tribu des Cicadaires, ordre des Ryngotes (suite). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France 8: 339-454 [397] [unnecessary nom. nov. for Cicada hyalinata Donovan, 1805].

Generic Combinations

• Armacia hyalinata (Donovan, 1805). —
  Melichar, L. 1898. Vorläufige Beschreibungen neuer Ricaniiden. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 48: 384-400 [387]
• Ricania hyalinata (Donovan, 1805). —
  Guérin-Méneville, F.E. 1834. Essai d'un nouvel arrangement des Hémiptères de la section des Homoptères, et révision de la tribu des Fulgorelles. pp. 445-480 in Guérin-Méneville, F.E. (ed.). Voyage aux Indes-Orientales, par le nord de l'Europe les provinces de Caucase, la Géorgie, l'Arménie et la Perse, suivi de détails topographiques, statistiques et autres sue le Pégou, les Isles de Java, de Maurice et de Bourbon, sur le Cap-de-bonne-Espérance ete Sainte Hélène pendant les années 1825–1829. Zoologie. Insectes. Paris : M.C. Bélanger 535 pp. [466]

Introduction

This exquisitely delicate little planthopper has been variously recorded from Botany Bay and Port Jackson in New South Wales and Dorre Island in Western Australia but all these records are either tentative (Dorre Island) or highly dubious (the two NSW records). However, specimens are known from the wet tropics and Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. Elsewhere, the species has a wide distribution across the tropics from Africa to the Solomon Islands although an examination of material from across this range might reveal that more than one species is present. Spinola (1839) proposed his new name to avoid potential confusion with Ricania hyalina (Fabricius) [now Ricania fenestrata (Fabricius)] but this is unnecessary because of the different endings.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

This species, being the only representative of the genus in Australia, is distinctive because of the combination of its size, almost complete lack of dark markings on the tegmen and the sparse longitudinal veins which make the cells quadrangular rather than linear as in most other Australian ricaniids. The distinctive tegmen venation has the radial vein branching near the base and the outer branch then running almost contiguous with the costal vein before curving away near the stigma.

History of changes