Genus Machaerota Burmeister, 1835

Museums

Regional Maps

• Machaerota Burmeister, H.C.C. 1835. Schnabelkerfe. Rhynchota. Handbuch der Entomologie 2(1): 1-396 [128].

  Type species:

   Machaerota ensifera Burmeister, 1835 by monotypy.
• Narnia Walker, F. 1870. Catalogue of the Homopterous insects collected in the Indian Archipelago by Mr A.R. Wallace, with descriptions of new species. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 10: 82-193 [192] [junior homonym; of Narnia Stål 1862 (Coreidae)].

  Type species:

   Narnia rastrata Walker, 1870 by monotypy.
• Pachymachaerota Schmidt, E. 1907. Monographie der Subfamilie Machaerotinae Stal, ein beitrag aus Kenntnis der Cercopiden. Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 68: 165-200 [194].

  Type species:

   Pachymachaerota nigrifrons Schmidt, 1907 by original designation.
• Conmachaerota Schmidt, E. 1919. Neue Gattungen und Arten der Subfamilie Machaerotinae Stal. Ein Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Cercopiden (Rhynchota Homoptera). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 79: 366-373 [371].

  Type species:

   Conmachaerota notoceras Schmidt, 1919 by original designation.
• Promaxudea Lallemand, V. 1927. Descriptions de Cercopides nouveaux provenent de la collection du British Muséum. Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1927: 99-118 [100].

  Type species:

   Promaxudea humboldti Lallemand, 1927 by original designation.
• Eumachaerota Schmidt, E. 1928. Die Zikaden des Buitenzorger Museums (Hemipt. Homopt.). Treubia Treubia 10: 107-144 [111].

  Type species:

   Eumachaerota siebersi Schmidt, 1928 by original designation.
• Asichaerota Matsumura, S. 1940. New species and genera of Cercopidae in Japan, Korea and Formosa, with a list of the known species. Journal of the Faculty of Agriculture, Hokkaido Imperial University 45: 35-82 [40].

  Type species:

   Asichaerota taiheisana Matsumura, 1940 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Distant, W.L. 1908. Rhynchota. — Vol. IV. Homoptera and Appendix. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma 4: 1-501 [80] (synonymy of Narnia Walker)
• Maa, T.C. 1963. A review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). Pacific Insects Monographs 5: 1-166 [96] (synonymy of Pachymachaerota?, Conmachaerota?, Promaxudea, Eumachaerota and Asichaerota)

Introduction

This genus contains more than 40 species spread across the Oriental region to the Australasian region with some outliers in Brazil and Japan. Australia has two species, one endemic and one shared with New Guinea. The genus is immediately recognised by the prolongation of the scutellum into a prominent spine-like process. The two Australian species are distinctively different in coloration.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NT, Qld: Daly Basin (DAB), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Body slender. Postclypeus never vertically produced into head process. Upper portion of pleurostome as broad as or narrower than basal segment of antenna. Eye moderately swollen. Crown anteriorly broadly rounded, seldom subangularly produced forward; occipital margin usually weakly sinuate at middle; antennal ledge, in vertical view of crown, gently curved; ocelli more or less closer to eyes than to each other. Pronotum gently convex, more or less broader than long; lateral angle seldom produced into spreading horizontal lamina; posterior angle variable; anterolateral margin longer or about as long as postero-lateral margin. Scutellum often with distinct "neck" region in profile; scutellar process slender, as long as or longer than (seldom slightly shorter than) scutellum proper, originating from upper end of postero-inferior margin of the latter; scutellar sulcus usually narrow and shallow. Tegmen about 3 x as long as broad; discoidal cell 1.5-3.5 x as long as broad, never longer than tegminal breadth; claval vein branched or unbranched. Cu (longitudinal vein 5) of wing unbranched. Hind leg slender; tibia lacking lateral spine; inner apical lobes of tarsomeres much longer than outer ones. Apical lobe of male pygofer narrowly rounded. (Maa 1963)

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2001) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the subfamily Machaerotinae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/cercopid/machaero/mach00.htm [accessed 20.iv.2012]

Diagnosis References

Maa, T.C. 1963. A review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). Pacific Insects Monographs 5: 1-166 [96]

History of changes