Subfamily Typhlocybinae Kirschbaum, 1868

Kahaono montana Evans, the Silk Leafhopper (tribe Dikraneurini).

© Copyright Lowan Turton, NSW Department of Primary Industries.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Typhlocybidae Kirschbaum, C.L. 1868. Die Cicadinen der gegend von Wiesbaden und Frankfurt A.M. nebst einer anzahl neuer oder Schwer zu unterscheidender Arten aus anderen Gegenden Europa's Taballarisch Beschrieben. Jahrbuch des Nassauischen Vereins für Naturkunde 21-22: 1-202 [16].

  Type genus:

   Typhlocyba Germar, 1833.

Introduction

The Typhlocybinae, known as microleafhoppers, includes mainly small to tiny leafhoppers many of which are brightly coloured or distinctively patterned. Much work has been done on the world fauna of the subfamily in the past three decades by Irena Dworakowska. Recent work on regional faunas by a number of other authors has redefined the Palaearctic genera into which many non-Palaearctic species were originally placed and this has greatly assisted taxonomic work in those regions.

The Australian fauna remains largely undescribed and taxonomic publications in preparation by the compiler will considerably enlarge the number of described genera and species and enhance our knowledge of the fauna. Four of the six recognised tribes have been recorded in Australia. The Australian Dikraneurini is distinctive with considerable endemicity at the generic level because of an association with the tree genus Eucalyptus l'Hér. (Myrtaceae). The three dominant genera of Dikraneurini are Aneono Kirkaldy, Kahaono Kirkaldy and Dziwneono Dworakowska and a number of undescribed species of these genera as well as at least two new endemic genera are known. The Australian Erythroneurini is dominated by the genera Anzygina Fletcher and Larivière, Empoascanara Distant and Pettya Kirkaldy, although most of the species in those three genera also remain undescribed. A number of unusual forms, particularly in tropical parts of the country, represent undescribed genera. The Australian Empoascini includes a number of species in the widespread Oriental genus Austroasca Lower with some species of the genus having economic importance in various crops. In addition, the Australian Cotton Leafhopper, Amrasca terraereginae (Paoli) is a pest of cotton in Queensland and New South Wales and is the only representative of that Oriental genus recognised in Australia and the Australian Citrus Leafhopper, Empoasca (Empoasca) smithi Fletcher & Donaldson, causes deformation of developing citrus fruit in Queensland. A number of other empoascines are known from northern Australia. The fourth tribe recognised in Australia is the Typhlocybini and the Australian fauna comprises three exotic species, the Apple Leafhopper, Edwardsiana froggatti Baker, and the European Elm Leafhopper Ribautiana ulmi (L.), both introduced from Europe and the Oriental Homa haematoptilus (Kirkaldy) which is shared with Sri Lanka and Indonesia.

Microleafhoppers are parenchyma feeders (also known as cell rupture feeders) which cause speckling on their host leaves similar to the damage cause by plant feeding mites and thrips. Some Empoascini are reported to feed on vascular bundles causing their collapse and resultant dieback of distal parts of the leaves. Very few typhlocybines are known to transmit plant diseases, probably because of their method of feeding.

One unusual Australian species of Typhlocybinae is the endemic Silk Leafhopper, Kahaono montana Evans (tribe Dikraneurini), which is known to produce tents of genuine proteinaceous silk under which they shelter and feed (Chang et al. 2005). Recent work by Gurr and Fletcher (2011) has demonstrated the role of these tents as a defence against predators. The means of production of this material and other possible benefits of the tents are still unknown.

Diagnosis

Die Längsnerven der Decken blos nahe den Spitzenzellen zur Bildung dieser getheilt oder durch Quernerven verbunden, in der Vorderhälfte der Decken undeutlich. Nebenaugen oft nicht deutlich zu erkennen, Vorder- und Mittelschienen rundlich, aussen ohne Dornen, die ersteren innen mit einer Reihe von Borsten, die letzteren innen mit vereinzelten feinen Borsten (Kirschbaum 1868).

The Australian Typhlocybinae can be recognised by the presence of only two preapical cells in the forewing and the absence of an appendix. They are also almost always less than 3mm in length, although there are some exceptions. The hind wing venation is also reduced in most of the tribes represented in Australia.

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 [accessed: 16.ii.2012]

Diagnosis References

Kirschbaum, C.L. 1868. Die Cicadinen der gegend von Wiesbaden und Frankfurt A.M. nebst einer anzahl neuer oder Schwer zu unterscheidender Arten aus anderen Gegenden Europa's Taballarisch Beschrieben. Jahrbuch des Nassauischen Vereins für Naturkunde 21-22: 1-202 [16]

General References

Chang, J.C., Fletcher, M.J., Gurr, G.M., Kent, D.S. & Gilbert, R.G. 2005. A new silk: Mechanical, compositional, and morphological characterization of leafhopper (Kahaono montana) silk. Polymer 46(19): 7909–7917

Gurr, G.M. & Fletcher, M.J. 2011. Silk production by the Australian endemic leafhopper Kahaono montana Evans (Cicadellidae:Typhlocybinae: Dikraneurini) provides protection from predators. Australian Journal of Entomology 50(3): 231–233

History of changes