Subfamily Megophthalminae Kirkaldy, 1906

Museums

Regional Maps

• Paropidae Dohrn, F.A. 1859. Homoptera. Catalogus Hemipterorum. Stettin : Entomologischen Verein zu Stettin 102 pp. [83].

  Type genus:

   Paropia Germar, 1833.
• Megophthalminae Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [296].

  Type genus:

   Megophthalmus Curtis, 1829.

Introduction

The subfamily Megophthalminae is primarily distributed in Europe and North, Central and South America. It is now generally regarded as containing four tribes, Megophthalmini, Agalliini, Adelungiini, and Evansiolini (Dietrich 2005). Only the tribe Agalliini occurs in the Australasian region with one species in New Guinea and one, the Spotted Leafhopper, Austroagallia torrida Evans, widespread in mainland Australia.

The name Megophthalminae was apparently first used by Kirkaldy (1906) without comment. It appears likely that Kirkaldy used Megophthalminae rather than Paropinae since the type genus of Paropinae, Paropia Germar, 1833, had been synonymised with Megophthalmus Curtis, 1829, by Westwood (1840), although Kirkaldy makes no indication of his reason for using the name. Metcalf (1962) states that Oshanin (1906) used this name as an equivalent to the Paropinae. However, Oshanin published his work as a series of three supplements to the Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Impériale des Sclences, St Petersburg in 1906 (Band I, Heteroptera), 1908 (Band II, Homoptera) and 1909 (Band III, Nachträge und Verbesserungen zum I und II, Bande). Oshanin's use of the name Megophthalmina [sic] was on page 47 of Band II which was published in 1908 (Oshanin 1908 below). Metcalf (1962) therefore appears correct in crediting Kirkaldy (1906) as the first to use the name Megophthalminae, even though Kirkaldy was clearly unfamiliar with the group.

Diagnosis

As there is only one species of this subfamily in Australia, a diagnosis of the subfamily is omitted.

ID Keys

Dietrich 2005: 511

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

Dietrich, C.H. 2005. Keys to the families of Cicadomorpha and subfamilies and tribes of Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Florida Entomologist 88(4): 502–517 [511–516]

General References

Dietrich, C.H. 2005. Keys to the families of Cicadomorpha and subfamilies and tribes of Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Florida Entomologist 88(4): 502–517 [511]

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [296]

Metcalf, Z.P. 1962. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicle VI, Cicadelloidea. Part 5, Ulopidae. Raleigh N.C. : North Carolina State College 101 pp. [9]

Oshanin, B.F. 1908. Verzeichnis der Palaearktischen Hemipteren mit besondere Berücksichtigung ihrer Verteilung im Russischen Reiche. Band II Homoptera. Supplement to Annuaire du Musée Zoologique de l'Académie Imperiale des Sciences. St Petersburg. pp. 395-586 [47]

History of changes