Species Balclutha frontalis (Ferrari, 1882)

Balclutha frontalis (Ferrari), adult.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Gnathodus roseus Scott, J. 1876. Descriptions of three new species of European Hemiptera-Homoptera. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 13: 83-85 [83] [junior homonym; of Typhlocyba rosea Flor 1861].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown sex, quantity unknown, Corsica.
• Gnathodus frontalis Ferrari, P.M. 1882. Cicadaria Agri Ligustici. Annali del Museo Civico di Storia Naturale, Genova 18: 75-165 [117].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MCG ♂ (coll: 7.xii.1880), Santa Tecla, Italy.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1208].
• Gnathodus lineatus Melichar, L. 1903. Homopteren-Fauna von Ceylon. Berlin: Felix L. Dames. 248 pp. [208].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown ♂ ♀, Sri Lanka.
• Nesosteles hebe Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [343].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BPBM ♀ (iii.1905, Koebele), Fiji
  Comment: Knight (1987) refers to a holotype when no holotype was designated by Kirkaldy (1906) and the specimen bearing a "holotype" label remains as a syntype (see Medler 1987). Examination of material in the BPBM may reveal a male syntype which would be more appropriate as the primary type of the species.
• Nesosteles dryas Kirkaldy, G.W. 1907. Leafhoppers — Supplement (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 3: 1-186 [65].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BPBM sex, quantity unknown (coll.: vii.1904), Redlynch, Queensland; BPBM sex, quantity unknown (coll.: vii-viii.1904), Cairns, Queensland; BPBM sex, quantity unknown (coll.: ix-xii.1904), Bundaberg, Queensland
  Comment: Knight (1987) refers to a female "Type" but Kirkaldy (1906) did not designate a holotype.
• Gnathodus pallidulus Matsumura, S. 1908. Neue Cicadinen aus Europa und Mittelmeergebiet. Journal of the College of Science, Imperial University of Tokyo 23(6): 1-46 [11].

  Type data:

   Lectotype EIHU ♂ (coll: Matsumura), Tunis, N Africa.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209].
• Balclutha orientalis Matsumura, S. 1914. Die Jassinen und einige neue Acocephalinen Japans. Journal of the College of Agriculture, Tohoku Imperial University, Sapporo 5: 165-240 [169].

  Type data:

   Lectotype EIHU ♂ (coll: 11.vii.1906, Matsumura), Ako, Taiwan.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209].
• Balclutha montana Melichar, L. 1914. Homopteren von Java, gesammelt von Herrn. Ewd. Jacobson. Notes from the Leyden Museum 36: 91-147 [138].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown ♂ ♀, quantity unknown, Java, Indonesia.
• Cicadula longiforma Cogan, E.S. 1916. Homopterous Studies. Part 1. Contributions to our knowledge of the Homoptera of South Africa. Ohio Journal of Science 16: 161-208 [196].

  Type data:

   Lectotype SAM ♀ (coll: 1.iii.1900, C.G.H.), Cape Town, South Africa.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Theron, J.G. 1970. Redescription of Cogan's species of South Africa's Cicadelloidea (Hemiptera). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 33(2): 303-323 [320] (Cogan (1916) states that he described this species from two males and two females but Theron (1970) said that he could find only a single female which bears a "type" label and he recognised that as the holotype. This constitutes a lectotype designation by default).
• Eugnathodus guajanae DeLong, D.M. 1923. New species. pp. 257-270 in Wolcott, G.N. (ed.). Insectae Portoricensis. A preliminary annotated check-list of the insects of Porto Rico, with descriptions of some new species. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 7(1): 1-313 [267].

  Type data:

   Holotype OSM ♀ (coll: 21.i.1920, G.N. Wolcott), Rio Piedras, Vega Alta, Puerto Rico.
• Balclutha rubrostriata Haupt, H. 1927. Homoptera Palestinae I. Bulletin. The Zionist Organization. Institute of Agriculture and Natural History. Agricultural Experiment Station. Tel-Aviv, Palestine 8: 5-43 [36] [junior homonym; misidentification of Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar)].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MUC ♂ (coll: 26–27.vii.1925), Ben Shemen, Palestine.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209].
• Balclutha flava Haupt, H. 1927. Homoptera Palestinae I. Bulletin. The Zionist Organization. Institute of Agriculture and Natural History. Agricultural Experiment Station. Tel-Aviv, Palestine 8: 5-43 [37] [junior homonym; of Gnathodus impictus var. flavus Baker, 1896].

  Type data:

   Lectotype MUC ♂ (coll: 22–23.ix.1925), Ben Shemen, Palestine.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209].
• Eugnathodus calcara DeLong, D.H. & Davidson, R.H. 1933. Some new species of Eugnathodus (Homoptera Cicadellidae). Ohio Journal of Science 33(1): 55-58 [57].

  Type data:

   Holotype OSM ♂ (coll: 14.iv.1921), Miami, Florida, USA.
• Agellus philippinensis Merino, G. 1936. Philippine Cicadellidae (Homoptera). Philippine Journal of Science 61: 307-400 [382].

  Type data:

   Holotype MC sex unknown, Philippines.
• Balclutha pulchella Lindberg, H. 1948. On the insect fauna of Cyprus. Results of the expedition of 1939 by Harald Håkan and P.H. Lindberg. ii. Heteroptera und Homoptera Cicadina der Insel Zypern. Commentationes Biologicae Societas Scientiarum Fennicae 10(7): 23-175 [141].

  Type data:

   Holotype UZMH ♂ (coll: 10.vi.1939, H. Lindberg), Trikomo, Cyprus.
• Balclutha haupti Metcalf, Z.P. 1955. New names in the Homoptera. Journal of the Washington Academy of Sciences 45(8): 262-267 [266] [replacement name; for Balclutha flava Haupt].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Puton, A. 1882. Bibliographie. Revue d'Entomologie du Québec 1: 119-120 [119] (synonymy of G. frontalis)
• Linnavuori, R.E. 1959. Revision of the Neotropical Deltocephalinae and some related subfamilies (Homoptera). Annales Zoologici Fennici 20(1): 1-370 [339] (synonymy of E. guajanae, B. pulchella, E. calcara)
• Linnavuori, R.E. 1962. Hemiptera of Israel. III. Annales Zoologici Fennici 24(3): 1-108 [39] (synonymy of B. rubrostriata Haupt (not Melichar), B. haupti)
• Theron, J.G. 1970. Redescription of Cogan's species of South Africa's Cicadelloidea (Hemiptera). Journal of the Entomological Society of Southern Africa 33(2): 303-323 [322] (synonymy of C. longiforma)
• Linnavuori, R.E. 1975. Homoptera : Cicadellidae, Supplement. Insects of Micronesia 6(9): 611-632 [631] (synonymy of G. pallidulus, B. orientalis)
• Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209] (synonymy of G. lineatus, N. hebe, N. dryas, B. montana, A. philippinensis)

Generic Combinations

• Balclutha frontalis (Ferrari, 1882). —
  McKamey, S.H. & Hicks, A.L. 2007. A new subspecies, replacement names, and spelling fixations for species of Deltocephalinae and Macropsinae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 109(4): 930–937 [932]

Introduction

This drab species has been found in coastal areas from SW Western Australia, through the tropics to SE New South Wales. It is widespread overseas which is why it has so many synonyms.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder (associated flora: Citrus paradisi Macfad. [RUTACEAE] Grapefruit; Panicum barbinode [POACEAE] (possibly Pappophorum nigricans var barbinode Domin); Saccharum sp. [POACEAE]; Setaria viridis Linnaeus [POACEAE]; Sorghum sp. [POACEAE]; Gossypium sp. [MALVACEAE]).

Diagnosis

Colour ivory, pale yellow or very pale testaceous; facial area and interior and posterior margins of ocelli pale fuscous; a thin pale brown longitudinal line medially over pronotum, extending vaguely onto vertex and scutellum; a longitudinal band on pronotum on each side of midline, lateral areas of pronotum and basal angles of scutellum pale fuscous or orange, the longitudinal bands sometimes indistinct and sometimes extending onto posterior area of vertex. Forewings colourless or very pale brown. Vertex, pronotum, scutellum and basal half of forewings sometimes pinkish. Head as wide as or slightly wider than pronotum. Length: ♂ 3.3–3.8 mm, ♀ 3.7–4.2 mm. (Knight 1987, as B. rosea).
Knight (1987) described and figured the male genitalia, as B. rosea.

ID Keys

Knight 1987: 1180

Diagnosis References

Knight, W.J. 1987. Leafhoppers of the grass-feeding genus Balclutha (Homoptera, Cicadellidae) in the Pacific region. Journal of Natural History 21: 1173-1224 [1209–1210]

History of changes