Genus Melanetettix Knight & Fletcher, 2007

Melanetettix semeraroae Knight & Fletcher, type species of Melanetettix Knight & Fletcher.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

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• Melanetettix Knight, W.J. & Fletcher, M.J. 2007. A new deltocephaline leafhopper genus, Melanetettix, from Melanesia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Systematics and Biodiversity 5(2): 199-222 [200].

  Type species:

   Melanetettix semeraroae Knight & Fletcher, 2007 by original designation.

Introduction

This genus of 23 species was only recently described. It is primarily New Guinean with species radiating westward into Indonesia and eastward into the Solomon Islands. One species from China was added by Li et al. (2011). The type species, extends southwards into North Queensland. The genus name was derived from "Melanesia" in which region the species is primarily distributed, combined with "tettix", a frequently used suffix for generic names in the Deltocephalinae. With clear affinities with Scaphoideus Uhler, Knight & Fletcher (2007) placed Melanetettix into the Athysanini following Nast (1972) who placed Scaphoideus into that tribe. The tribe Scaphoideini, had been created for Scaphoideus by Oman (1943) but Zahniser & Dietrich (2010) regarded that tribe as being a nomen nudum. Zahniser & Dietrich (2013) redefined the Scaphoideini and transferred a number of genera, including Melanetettix into it.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

A comprehensive description of the genus was provided by Knight & Fletcher (2007). The species are all distinctively marked with transverse banding on the head and pronotum and various markings, including spots or stripes, on the tegmen. The male genitalia features a large pygofer process.

Diagnosis References

Knight, W.J. & Fletcher, M.J. 2007. A new deltocephaline leafhopper genus, Melanetettix, from Melanesia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Systematics and Biodiversity 5(2): 199-222 [200]

General References

Li, Z.Z., Dai, R.H. & Xing, J.C. 2011. Deltocephalinae from China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Beijing : Popular Science Press pp. 336.

Nast, J. 1972. Palaearctic Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera): an Annotated Check-list. Warsaw : Polish Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology: pp. 1-550. [357]

Oman, P.W. 1943. A generic revision of the Nearctic Cicadellidae (Homoptera). Bulletin of George Washington University 1941-43: 15-17 [16]

Oman, P.W., Knight, W.J. & Nielson, M.W. 1990. Leafhoppers (Cicadellidae). A Bibliography, Generic Check-list and Index to the World Literature 1956-1985. Wallingford, England : CAB International Institute of Entomology pp. 1-368. [249]

Zahniser, J.N. & Dietrich, C.H. 2010. Phylogeny of the leafhopper subfamily Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) based on molecular and morphological data with a revised family-group classification. Systematic Entomology 35(3): 489–511 [499]

Zahniser, J.N. & Dietrich, C.H. 2013. A review of the tribes of Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae). European Journal of Taxonomy 45: 1–211 [148]

History of changes