Genus Austrimonus Fletcher and Dai, 2018

Austrimonus melaleucae (Kirkaldy), type species of Austrimonus Fletcher and Dai

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute

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• Austrimonus Fletcher, M.J. and Dai, W. 2018. A new genus Austrimonus for Eutettix melaleucae Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) and nine new species. Zootaxa 4387(2): 310–330 [311].
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  Type species:

   Eutettix melaleucae Kirkaldy, 1907 by original designation.

Introduction

The type species was placed in the genus Hishimonus Ishihara by Evans (1966) but was excluded from that genus by Fletcher and Dai (2013). The new genus Austrimonus was created to receive E. melaleucae and nine new species were added by Fletcher and Dai (2018). This is the only genus of Opsiina which is endemic to Australasia with most species endemic to Australia and two extending into Papua New Guinea.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, Vic, WA: Arnhem Plateau (ARP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Gulf Plains (GUP), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Northern Kimberley (NK), NSW North Coast (NNC), Pine Creek (PCK), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Tiwi Cobourg (TIW), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Diagnosis

The species of Austrimonus are similar to species of Hishimonus in the structure of the aedeagus which has two shafts bearing accessory processes. The two genera can usually be distinguished by the absence of the distinctive circular or diamond-shaped brown marking dorsally in the centre of the folded tegmina of species of Austrimonus. In addition, Austrimonus species differ from Hishimonus species by the following features of the male genitalia: a narrower subgenital plate tapering to base of apical process (Hishimonus: subgenital plate often ovoid with apical process distinct); apical process of paramere curved laterally (Hishimonus: apical process extended posteriorly), sometimes with preapical tooth, preapical lobe usually well developed; connective long; fore femur with setal row AV absent or present only as weak fine hairs (Hishimonus: AV present with short but welldeveloped microsetae) (Fletcher and Dai 2018).

Diagnosis References

Fletcher, M.J. and Dai, W. 2018. A new genus Austrimonus for Eutettix melaleucae Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) and nine new species. Zootaxa 4387(2): 310–330 [311]

General References

Evans, J.W. 1966. The leafhoppers and froghoppers of Australia and New Zealand. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 12: 1-347 [236]

Fletcher, M.J. & Dai, W. 2013. The genus Hishimonus Ishihara in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae: Opsiini) including description of three new species. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum - Nature 58: 421–431 [428]

History of changes