Genus Giffardia Kirkaldy, 1906

Giffardia dolichocephala Kirkaldy, type species of Giffardia Kirkaldy.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Giffardia Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [336].

  Type species:

   Giffardia dolichocephala Kirkaldy, 1906 by monotypy.

Introduction

The monotypic endemic genus Giffardia is placed in a subtribe Platymetopiina of the Athysanini on Jamie Zahniser's website but retained here in the Stenometopiini pending further investigation. It is reasonably well represented in Australian collections from the NE corner of Western Australia to the tropical parts of Queensland, including Torres Strait islands.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NT, Qld, WA: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU), Gulf Plains (GUP), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Diagnosis

Superficially allied to Dorycephalus etc., but is probably an offshoot from some form near Phrynomorphus. Head elongate, tapering; vertex longer than wide across the eyes, about 5 (male) 6 (female) (This is not absolutely constant) times as long as wide between eyes at base, prolongation elongate-triangular, flat, porrect or slightly declivous towards the apex, longitudinally carinate. Frons elongate, a little more than four times as long as wide between antennae. Clypeus a trifle wider at apex than at base, a little wider than the lorae which do not nearly touch its posterior margin. Eyes large, elongate, suboblique, not included in the curve of the head, ocelli small, on the anterior margin of the head, a little remote from the eyes. Antennae elongate, socketted at about one-third of the length of the eyes. Pronotum arched anteriorly; pronotum and scutellum longitudinally carinate. Tegminal venation simple, 4 discoidals and 5 apical; wing venation normal. Posterior femora swollen a little at apex, with two hooks (Kirkaldy 1906).

Diagnosis References

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [336]

History of changes