Species Ceraon contractus (Walker, 1851)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Centrotus contractus 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. [622].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♀ (presented by the Haslar Hospital), 'New Holland'.

Generic Combinations

• Ceraon contractus (Walker, 1851). —
  Kitching, R.L. 1976. The genus Ceraon Buckton (Homoptera: Membracidae) with description of a new species and notes on genitalic nomenclature. Journal of the Australian Entomological Society 14: 339-351 [342]

Introduction

This large insect is known only from the female holotype from "New Holland". It was redescribed by Kitching (1976) who considered it enigmatic within the genus because of the presence of a narrow vertical horn, arising just behind the level of the humeral angles. This structure is not symmetrical, curving slightly to the left, and may be a deformation. Since the species is based on a single specimen, the validity of the species depends on the discovery of additional specimens with this same structure. Walker (1851) made no mention of the vertical horn in the original description.

Distribution

Recorded from "Australia".

Extra Distribution Information

Known only from type locality.

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

Piceus; pectus et scutellum flavo pubescentia; alae limpidae; alae anticae basi piceae.
Pitchy, clothed with pale tawny down; head transverse, rather roughly punctured, a little narrower than the fore-chest between the shoulders, notched and slightly retuse on each side of the face, which is spindle-shaped, prominent and a little longer than the hind part of the head; fore-chest rather high, very roughly punctured, hardly ridged, rising vertically from the head; shoulders obtusely angular, not prominent; horns above very thick, quadrilateral, ascending, slightly diverging, twisted, dilated towards their tips which are truncated and have very acute outward angles; length of the horns equal to twice the breadth of the chest between them; hind appendage keeled, extending far beyond the tip of the abdomen, slightly curved, tapering from the base to the tip, rather deep towards the base, slightly undulating along the ridge; breast and sides of the scutellum clothed with yellow down; wings colourless; fore-wings pitchy and punctured towards the base; veins ferruginous, very thick; two discoidal areolets. Length of the body 3 lines; of the wings 7 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. [622]

History of changes