Species Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858)

Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker), adult male

© Copyright J. Constant, RBINS, Belgium

Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker), adult female

© Copyright J. Constant, RBINS, Belgium

Museums

Regional Maps

• Eurybrachys sanguiflua Walker, F. 1858. List of specimens of Homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Supplement. London : British Museum (Natural History) 369 pp. [330].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH ♂, Moreton Bay, Queensland.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54 [46].
• Platybrachys insignis Distant, W.L. 1893. Contributions to a knowledge of the homopterous family Fulgoridae. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 1892: 275-286 [282].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH ♂, Peak Downs, Queensland.

  Type locality references:

  Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54 [46].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54 [46]

Generic Combinations

• Platybrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858). —
  Stål, C. 1862. Synonymiska och systematiska anteckningar öfver Hemiptera. Öfversigt af Kongelige Vetenskaps-Akademiens Förhandlingar, Stockholm 19(9): 479-504 [488]
• Chewobrachys sanguiflua (Walker, 1858). —
  Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54 [45]

Introduction

This species is quite common in SE Queensland and the following notes on its biology were provided by Constant (2008): "The species has been observed by Mr Peter Chew (pers. com., 2008) on March 30th, 2008 on the trunk of Acacia disparrima M.W. Mc Donald & Maslin (Fabaceae) at Karawatha Forest near Brisbane. The specimens were hiding in cracks of the stringy bark of those trees where their colour gives them perfect camouflage. Females were at about 1 metre high, males at about 2 metres, all facing downwards. When disturbed they quickly walked up towards the tree top, and jumped only when touched. One nymph was observed on the same tree as the adults and is attributed to this species. As the distribution range of Acacia disparrima is limited to coastal Queensland, it is clear that C. sanguiflua feeds on more than one species of Acacia. Acacia disparrima is a member of the Acacia aulacocarpa group and further investigation would be interesting to know if C. sanguiflua lives only on species of that group. One specimen has also been caught at light trap. The species seems widely distributed in SE Queensland and quite common around Brisbane."

The behaviour described above is typical of other species of eurybrachid planthoppers which live on eucalypt trunks.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Mulga Lands (ML), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

The males can be identified by examination of the genitalia. The females have tegmina broader (LTg/BTg less than 2.40), with costal margin slightly rounded and white spots of hind wings more developed than in C. limbourgi. Identification of females is always more sure when males have been captured together with them.
Description. LT: male (n = 4): 13.1 mm (12.0–14.2); female (n = 30): 13.6 mm (12.0–15.3). Head: frons variegated, green (living females), grey-olivaceous to brown-olivaceous (males and collection females); lateral sides of head paler; vertex dark brown with disc yellow-brown to olivaceous; clypeus and labium reddish brown; antennae brown; ratio BV/LV = 4.1–5.0; BF/LF = 2.0. Thorax: tegulae, pro- and mesonotum dark brown; metanotum and ventral face bright red; ratio LP+LM/ BT = 0.86; LM/LP = 2.6. Tegmina: brown with irregular, whitish to pale greyish markings, sometimes suffused with pale greenish; markings forming postero-costal patch and transverse band on basal third of corium, sometimes extending to clavus; veins suffused with red basally, sometimes suffused with greenish on disc (figs. 26–28); ratio LTg/BTg = %: 2.5, &: 2.31 (2.22–2.38). Hind wings: brown with base bright red; whitish spot apically at each angle; spots smaller in females, often fused in a sinuate band in males. Legs: bright red with tibiae and tarsi darker, brownish; spines of hind legs brown to blackish. Abdomen: bright red with genitalia testaceous. Genitalia male: lateral process of gonostyli pointed and placed basally in lateral view, placed ventrally in ventral view; gonostyli in ventral view with internal margins well separated on most of length and external margin strongly emarginate near apex; aedeagus with dorsal margin sinuate and ventral margin strongly concave apically in lateral view, showing small teeth apically and ventrally. (Constant 2008)

ID Keys

Constant (2008: 45)

Diagnosis References

Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54

General References

Constant, J. 2008. Revision of the Eurybrachidae (XIII). The new Australian genus Chewobrachys (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha). Zootaxa 1898: 41-54 [48]

History of changes