Tribe Plectoderini Fennah, 1950

Museums

Regional Maps

• Plectoderini Fennah, R.G. 1950. A generic revision of the Achilidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 1(1): 1-170 [47].

  Type genus:

   Plectroderes Spinola, 1839.

Introduction

This is by far the most species-rich and most commonly collected tribe of Australian Achilidae. Almost certainly, the number of described taxa in the tribe represents only a small proportion of the Australian fauna which are mainly dull brown or grey, often with whitish markings. A revision of the Australian Plectoderini is urgently needed.

Diagnosis

Vertex at least two-thirds as wide as pronotum, anterior margin convex or angulately produced at middle, tegmina shallowly rounded over dorsum and with membranous areas overlapping when folded, apical margin strongly convex, venation regular, Sc with anterior branch short, sometimes recurved, usually six subapical and eight or nine apical areoles; post-tibiae unispinose. (Fennah 1950)

re: Fore wing venation "All the Australian genera are very similar, differing principally in the relative proportions of the apical cells." (Kirkaldy 1906: 418)

The single hind tibial spine placed about one third distance from the base of the tibia is characteristic (Fletcher 2004) although this may be missing or obsolescent.

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2004). Illustrated key to the tribes of the family Achilidae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/achilidae/achilid00.htm

Diagnosis References

Fennah, R.G. 1950. A generic revision of the Achilidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) 1(1): 1-170 [47]

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [418]

History of changes