Species Phaconeura minyamea Hoch, 1990

Museums

Regional Maps

• Phaconeura minyamea Hoch, H. 1990. Cavernicolous Meenoplidae of the genus Phaconeura (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from Australia. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 30: 188-203 [189].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM ♂ (coll: 4.i.1989, M. Asche, H. Hoch & F.G. Howarth), Tea Tree Cave, Tea Tree Area, Chillagoe, Queensland.

Introduction

This species shows some variation between the type locality and neighbouring caves and Hoch (1990) conjectured that each locality may have closely similar but incipient species. On the other hand, she also states that the species is fully winged and capable of flying, perhaps between caves up to 10 km apart, and therefore may maintain gene flow between the populations. Further work is needed to investigate this possilbility. The species is found in twilight and transition zones of the caves and was regarded by Hoch (1990) as being facultative cavernicolous rather than obligate cavernicolous like other more highly modified species of Phaconeura which inhabit the permanently dark zones of the same cave systems.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Einasleigh Uplands (EIU)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: cave dweller, phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

Hoch (1990) gives a comprehensive description and illustrations of the species, including male genitalia. The species is readily distinguished from other members of the smithi group of species by the membranous, flaglike velum at the tip of the unpaired dorsal process of the aedeagus (Hoch 1990).

Diagnosis References

Hoch, H. 1990. Cavernicolous Meenoplidae of the genus Phaconeura (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from Australia. Occasional Papers of the Bernice P. Bishop Museum 30: 188-203 [189–192]

History of changes