Species Orosius orientalis (Matsumura, 1914)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Eutettix orientalis Matsumura, S. 1914. Die Jassinen und einige neue Acocephalinen Japans. Journal of the College of Agriculture, Tohoku Imperial University, Sapporo 5: 165-240 [192].

  Type data:

   Lectotype EIHU ♀, Akashi, Honshu, Japan.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Ishihara, T. 1982. Some notes on a leafhopper of economic importance, Orosius orientalis (Matsumura, 1914) (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Applied Entomology and Zoology (Tokyo) 17: 364–367.
• Nesaloha cantonis Oman, P.W. 1943. A new leafhopper from Oceania (Homoptera Cicadellidae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 19(1): 33-34 [33].

  Type data:

   Holotype USNM ♂ (coll: R.H. Van Zwaluwenburg, 1.viii.1940, on foliage of Boerhavia diffusa.), Canton Island.
• Orosius argentatus novaebrittaniae Ghauri, M.S.K. 1966. Revision of the genus Orosius Distant. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 18(7): 231-252 [245].

  Type data:

   Holotype BMNH ♂ (coll: 31.viii.1959, A.J. von Velsen, ex Crotolaria goreensis), Keravat, Rabaul, New Britain, Papua New Guinea.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Fletcher, M.J., Löcker, H., Mitchell, A. & Gopurenko, D. 2016. A revision of the genus Orosius Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) based on male genitalia and DNA barcoding. Austral Entomology [Date published Early version published online 1/9/2016: Paper version in 2017 on Vol. 56(2): 198–217] [7] (synonymy of O. cantonis and O. a. novaebrittaniae)

 

Generic Combinations

• Nesophrosyne orientalis (Matsumura, 1914). —
  Ishihara, T. 1963. Some genera, especially ‘Eutettix’ of Japan and Formosa (Hemiptera: Deltocephalidae). Transactions of the Shikoku Entomological Society 7: 119–124 [121]
• Orosius orientalis (Matsumura, 1914). —
  Kwon, Y.J. & Lee, C.E. 1979. On some new and little known Palaearctic species of leafhoppers (Homoptera : Auchenorrhyncha : Cicadellidae). Nature and Life in Southeast Asia 9(2): 69-97 [92]

 

Introduction

Orosius orientalis is a known vector of several phytoplasma diseases in Australia and overseas. Unfortunately, the identity of the species has been confused by false synonymies, particularly between O. orientalis and both O. albicinctus and O. argentatus. Fletcher et al. (2016) combined morphological examination of male genitalia and CO1 sequence data to demonstrate that O. orientalis and O. argentatus are valid species, both present in Australia and both distinct from O. albicinctus which is the only species of the genus not recorded in Australia. This raises questions about which species is associated with which diseases in Australia, underlining the value of vouchering material which can subsequently be checked and re-identified following this type of revelation. The synonymy between O. orientalis and O. argentatus proposed by Kwon & Lee (1979) was made on the basis of the extreme similarity in the male genitalia between these two species in the Oriental Region and in Australia but the CO1 sequence data demonstrate that the two species are distinct.

The distribution in Australia given here is based on specimens which have been confirmed as O. orientalis by CO1 sequence data but the species is more widespread in Australia than indicated here. It also extends beyond Australia to New Guinea, Indonesia, China and Japan and is remarkably consistent in CO1 sequence across that wide range.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Polynesia, Java, Melanesia, Africa, New Britain.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, NT, Vic, WA: Carnarvon (CAR), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Riverina (RIV), South Eastern Highlands (SEH)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

Adult: vector.

All stages: phloem feeder.

Extra Ecological Information

Known hosts: common on a wide variety of plants in many families.

 

Diagnosis

Weisslich gelb. Scheitel deutlich kürzer also die Breite zwischen den Augen, vorn abgerundet, am Vorderrande mit 2 dunklen Punkten, in der Scheibe jederseits ein etwa T-förmiges bräunliches Fleckchen, am Hinterrande jederseits ein kleines bräunliches Punktchen. Stirn an den Seiten je mit etwa 7 dunklen Querstreifen, ein Wangenfleck und ein Mittelstreifen des Clypeus, sowie auch die Clypeus-und Zügelnaht dunkel. Pronotum dunkel, etwas netzartig marmorirt. Scutellum in der Mitte 2 dunkle Fleckchen, welche oben oft mit einer bräunlichen Bogenbinde begrenzt werden. Elytren weisslich, mit rostbraunen Nerven und zahlreichen nervenartigen Punkten und Querstrichelchen zwischen denselben, beim ♂ der Costalnerv oft rötlich gefärbt. Unterseite schwarz und Genitalsegment weisslichgelb. Beine weisslichgelb, stark bräunlich gefleckt. ♂ Genitalklappe an der Spitze breit stumpfdreieckig abgerundet, Genitalplatten etwa anderthalb mal so long wie dei Klappe, an der Spitze zusammen schmal dreieckig zuschliessen, je in der Mitte mit einem dunklen Längsstrichelchen. ♀ Letztes Bauchsegment etwa 3mal so lang wie das vorhergehende, am Hinterrande in der Mitte etwas vorragend, jederseits mit einem bräunlichen Fleckchen. Scheidenpolster bräunlich marmorirt. Länge: ♂ 2.8 mm, ♀ 3 mm (Matsumura 1914).

This species is difficult to differentiate from O. argentatus which has a similar aedeagus with the shafts lacking distinctive features other than the apices being inturned, in ventral view. In O. orientalis the shafts in lateral view are slightly sinuate while in O. argentatus they are more or less straight. In ventral view, the shafts of O. orientalis are more or less parallel while in O. argentatus they are slightly divergent. These differences are slight and, for significant identifications such as those associated with identification of disease vectors, examination of a COI barcode may be required (Fletcher et al. 2016).

 

ID Keys

Fletcher et al. 2016: 5

 

Diagnosis References

Evans, J.W. 1938. Australian Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Jassoidea): Part VIII. Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1938: 1-18 [15]

Fletcher, M.J., Löcker, H., Mitchell, A. & Gopurenko, D. 2016. A revision of the genus Orosius Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) based on male genitalia and DNA barcoding. Austral Entomology [Date published Early version published online 1/9/2016: Paper version in 2017 on Vol. 56(2): 198–217] [7–9]

Matsumura, S. 1914. Die Jassinen und einige neue Acocephalinen Japans. Journal of the College of Agriculture, Tohoku Imperial University, Sapporo 5: 165-240 [192]

 

General References

Fletcher, M.J., Löcker, H., Mitchell, A. & Gopurenko, D. 2016. A revision of the genus Orosius Distant (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) based on male genitalia and DNA barcoding. Austral Entomology [Date published Early version published online 1/9/2016: Paper version in 2017 on Vol. 56(2): 198–217] [7–9]

Ghauri, M.S.K. 1966. Revision of the genus Orosius Distant. Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology 18(7): 231-252 [242]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
05-Dec-2019	Opsiini Emeljanov, 1962	09-Sep-2016	MODIFIED	Dr Murray Fletcher
05-Dec-2019		01-Nov-2013	MODIFIED
05-Dec-2019		16-May-2012	MODIFIED
05-Dec-2019		13-Jul-2011	MOVED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)