Genus Gunawardenea Fletcher & Moir, 2008
Gunawardenea linnaei Fletcher & Moir, type species of Gunawardenea.
© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.
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Genus Gunawardenea Fletcher & Moir, 2008
Compiler and date details
15 June 2011 - Murray J. Fletcher
- Gunawardenea Fletcher, M.J. & Moir, M.L. 2008. Gunawardenea, a new genus of squat leafhoppers from Western Australia, with description of two new species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 24(4): 429-436 [430].
Type species:
Gunawardenea linnaei Fletcher & Moir, 2008 by original designation.
Introduction
This genus currently includes two species of flightless leafhoppers with brachypterous forewings. Both species are found in arid zone habitats in Western Australia and survival of herbivorous insects in such regions must require special adaptations. It is possible that their eggs are capable of surviving extended periods waiting for rainfall which would also trigger germination of the seeds of potential host plants. This genus demonstrates that the arid regions of Australia contain highly specialised organisms of great scientific interest. The genus name is derived from Nihara Gunawardene, a former student of Curtin University, Western Australia, who collected the type specimen of G. pulchra Fletcher & Moir.
Distribution
States
Western Australia
Extra Distribution Information
Australian Endemic.
IBRA
WA: Carnarvon (CAR), Gascoyne (GAS), Gibson Desert (GD)
Diagnosis
The species in this genus are distinctive in being short, squat and brachypterous with the pronotum clearly wider than the head which has large eyes. They are clearly marked in black, particularly on the head. A full description was given by Fletcher & Moir (2008).
Diagnosis References
Fletcher, M.J. & Moir, M.L. 2008. Gunawardenea, a new genus of squat leafhoppers from Western Australia, with description of two new species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 24(4): 429-436 [430]
History of changes
| Published | As part of group | Action Date | Action Type | Compiler(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05-Dec-2019 | 13-Aug-2013 | MODIFIED | ||
| 05-Dec-2019 | 16-May-2012 | MODIFIED | ||
| 05-Dec-2019 | 05-Aug-2011 | MODIFIED | ||
| 12-Feb-2010 | (import) |