Subfamily Ledrinae Fairmaire, 1855

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ledrides Fairmaire, L.M.H. 1855. IIe partie — Hémiptères. 2e Division. — Homoptères. Dayrolle : Musée Scolaire 206 pp. [151].

  Type genus:

   Ledra Fabricius, 1803.

Introduction

The Ledrinae have the head laminately expanded, often shovel-shaped with the ventral surface concave and the dorsal surface convex. Most Australian species are rugose dorsally, sometimes with ridging and elevated carinae. The bizarre Porcorhinus mastersi Goding was first described in the family Membracidae because of the horns on the pronotum but its true affinities lie here. Jones & Deitz (2009) revised the higher classification of the Ledrinae and transferred Australia's largest leafhopper, Ledromorpha planirostris (Donovan), from the Ledrini to the Stenocotini and transferred the tribes Stenocotini and Thymbrini from the Ledrinae to the Tartessinae. They also separated the genus Rubria Stål into its own tribe Rubrini which means that the Australian fauna is divided into the two tribes Ledrini and Rubrini. The Australian species are primarily associated with the myrtaceous genus Eucalyptus L'Héretier (Myrtaceae) although Ledropsis froggatti Distant is found on Ceratopetalum Sm. (Cunoniaceae) and Leptospermum Forst. & Forst. (Myrtaceae).

Diagnosis

Le G. Ledra, qui représente seul ce groupe, est bien remarquable par les deux oreillettes arrondies du corselet et par la tête, aussi large que le corselet, aplatie et tranchante en avant; les yeux sont petits, peu saillants, les antennes sont insérées sous le rebord de la tête; les deux premiers articles sont globuleux; les élytres sont grandes, dépassant de beaucoup l'abdomen, presque parallèles, arrondies à l'extrémité, assez coriaces, à nervures saillantes et réticulées; l'abdomen est court, aplati sur les côtés; les pattes sont de moyenne longueur, les postérieures plus longues que les autres; les tibias dilatés en dehors, épineux et frangés (Fairmaire 1855).

Medium or large leafhoppers. Dorsum often coarsely pitted or knobbed. Head spatulate, anterior margin often lamellate. Crown often uneven with shallow ridges or knobs, median longitudinal carina more or less complete, marginal carina more or less complete. Ocelli located on disk of crown, generally closer to each other than to eyes. Face usually concave, especially near anterior and lateral margins. Frontoclypeus narrow, long (anterior portion reduced in some taxa), more or less distinct, not extending onto upper margin of head, maxillary sutures present or absent, genae narrow. Antennae very short, first two segments small and unadorned with auxiliary setae. Proepisternum entirely exposed and variously expressed. Pronotum generally with carinate dorsolateral margins (absent in Rubrini) that are sometimes developed laterally into triangular, subtriangular, or ovoid flap-like extensions; dorsal surface with or without dorsal longitudinal rows of tubercles or carinae, these sometimes developed into crests, earlike flanges, or horns. Forewings coriaceous, punctate, sometimes flexed downward at second claval vein, claval area sometimes pigmented, veins slightly raised, claval veins not confluent, venation regular or reticulate in apical two-thirds of wing. Hind wings with R and M veins free and not confluent distally. Legs densely setose, pro- and mesothoracic legs without macrosetae. Metathoracic legs relatively short, metathoracic femur macrosetae formula 2+0 or 2+1, occasionally 2+1+1, with macrosetae grouped at apex of femur. Metathoracic tibia row II with some or all macrosetae cucullate, almost always less than 9 in number, with hairlike intercalary setae. Male genitalia: Macrosetae lacking. Valve small, fused with pygofer. Genital plates generally narrow, more or less parallel-sided, usually as long or longer than pygofer. Styles often long and narrow, but sometimes short, often with apex flexed ventrad or recurved anterad, sometimes with additional processes. Connective band- or platelike, but generally not strongly sclerotized, often membranous and indistinct. Aedeagus variable in shape, with or without subapical and apical processes and auxiliary lobes. Segment X (anal tube) often with ventral lobe. Female genitalia: Macrosetae lacking. Sternite VII posterior margin generally emarginated medially. Valvulae I bases acutely angled at articulation, generally not connected to one another by a sclerotized bridge. Valvulae II long and moderately to very slender, sometimes broader medially and curved ventrally, sclerotized or not, with two more or less sclerotized dorsal teeth, supernumerary teeth present in some species, subapical notch generally present. (Jones & Deitz 2009).

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2009 and updates). Key to the leafhoppers and treehoppers of Australia and neighbouring areas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/index.html

Diagnosis References

Fairmaire, L.M.H. 1855. IIe partie — Hémiptères. 2e Division. — Homoptères. Dayrolle : Musée Scolaire 206 pp. [131–132]

Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120 [25–26]

General References

Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120

History of changes