Species Eumetopina flavipes Muir, 1913

Museums

Regional Maps

• Eumetopina flavipes Muir, F. 1913. On some new Fulgoroidea. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 2(5): 237-269 [248].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BPBM sex, quantity unknown (on sugarcane), Pontianak, West Borneo, Indonesia; BPBM sex, quantity unknown (on sugarcane), "Telok Ayer" (=Telukair?, =Padangtikar Pulau), West Borneo, Indonesia; BPBM sex, quantity unknown (on sugarcane), Laloki, Papua New Guinea.

Introduction

This species was described from Borneo and Papua where it is common on sugarcane. It is the only vector of Ramu stunt disease of sugarcane and is therefore of significant quarantine interest to Australia. Anderson, et al. (2009) have documented its establishment in islands of the Torres Strait and on the northern tip of Cape York Peninsula but no evidence of Ramu stunt disease has been found. Nonetheless, the presence of this vector across the quarantine zones of the Torres Strait provides a method by which this disease could reach sugarcane growing areas of Queensland. Cronjé, et al. (1999) provided evidence that Ramu Stunt is caused by a phytoplasma. Eumetopina flavipes is a colourful species, basically chocolate brown with some pale markings (see http://www.padil.gov.au/viewPestDiagnosticImages.aspx?id=90).

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder (associated flora: Saccharum officinarum Linnaeus, 1753 [POACEAE] sugarcane).

Diagnosis

Dark, shiny brown; clypeus, rostrum, apex of face, legs and posterior edge of pronotum yellowish; Abdomen brown, margins of segments lighter brown or yellow. Tegmen brown with a lighter mark at end of costal cell and over cross-veins, veins dark with fine, hair-bearing granules; wings fuscous hyaline, veins dark. Male pygophor short dorsally, long ventrally, rounded, a small medio-ventral spine; anal segment short with a strong, curved median spine from the ventral edge. Styles small, narrow, parallel-sided, apex pointed, arising from well within the pygophor. Length 3.8 mm; tegmen 3.8 mm. (Muir 1913)

Diagnosis References

Muir, F. 1913. On some new Fulgoroidea. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 2(5): 237-269 [248]

General References

Anderson, K.L., Sallam, N. & Congdon, B.C. 2009. The effect of host structure on the distribution and abundance of the island sugarcane planthopper, Eumetopina flavipes Muir, vector of Ramu stunt disease of sugarcane. Virus Research 141: 247-257

Cronjé, C.P.R., Bailey, R.A., Jones, P. & Suma, S. 1999. The Phytoplasma associated with Ramu Stunt Disease of sugarcane is closely related to the White Leaf Phytoplasma group. Plant Disease 83(6): 588 [588]

Grimshaw, J.F. & Donaldson, J.F. 2007. Records of two sugarcane pests Eumetopina flavipes Muir (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) and Chilo terrenellus Pagenstecher (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Torre Strait and far north Queensland. Australian Journal of Entomology 46(1): 35-39

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