Tribe Nirvanini Baker, 1923

Museums

Regional Maps

• Nirvaniinae Baker, C.F. 1923. The Jassoidea related to the Stenocotidae with special reference to Malayan species. Philippine Journal of Science 23: 345-405 [375].

  Type genus:

   Nirvana Kirkaldy, 1900.

Introduction

The Nirvanini is the only tribe of Evacanthinae recorded from Australia. Members are easily recognised by the shape of the head, coupled with the presence of only two preapical cells in the tegmen. The Australian fauna includes some beautiful insects including the brightly coloured species of Tortor Kirkaldy and the black Sophonia doddi (Evans). Australnirvana adelaideae (Evans) is bright green with a longitudinal black stripe down the middle. The male's stripe is broader than that of the female. Although there are no known pest species among Nirvanini in the Australian fauna, there are species overseas that pose a biosecurity threat to Australia. In particular, Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura), the two spotted leafhopper, has spread from the Oriental region across the Pacific to Hawaii, the Cook Islands, Tahiti and California and could easily reach Australia. It is potentially an invasive pest of vegetable crops.

Excluded Taxa

Other Excluded

CICADELLIDAE: Nirvana Kirkaldy, 1900 [when Nirvana adelaideae Evans, 1938 was moved into the new genus Australnirvana by Wang, Dietrich & Zhang (2016), this genus no long contained any Australian taxa] — Kirkaldy, G.W. 1900. Notes on some Sinhalese Rhynchota. The Entomologist 33(450): 293-295 [293] (type species: Nirvana pseudommatos Kirkaldy, 1900 by original designation); Evans, J.W. 1966. The leafhoppers and froghoppers of Australia and New Zealand. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 12: 1-347 [151–152]; Wang, Y, Dietrich, C.H. & Zhang, Y. 2016. Australnirvana, a new leafhopper genus of Nirvanini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Evacanthinae) from Australia. Zootaxa 4168(1): 134–140

Diagnosis

Antennae in shallow scrobes of ordinary type; face usually much longer than broad; vertex long; eyes larg; tegmina without subapical cells, the veins of corium usually indistinguishable except by transmitted light (Baker 1923).

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

Baker, C.F. 1923. The Jassoidea related to the Stenocotidae with special reference to Malayan species. Philippine Journal of Science 23: 345-405 [375]

History of changes