Species Plexitartessus itonias (Kirkaldy, 1907)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Tartessus itonias Kirkaldy, G.W. 1907. Leafhoppers — Supplement (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 3: 1-186 [44].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BPBM ♂, quantity unknown (coll.: viii.1904), Cairns, Queensland; BPBM ♂, quantity unknown (coll.: viii.1904), Kuranda, Queensland
  Comment: Evans (1981) referred to the "type" being in Cairns. This may constitute a lectotype designation by default.

 

Generic Combinations

• Plexitartessus itonias (Kirkaldy, 1907). —
  Evans, F. 1981. The Tartessinae of Australia, New Guinea and some adjacent Islands (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Pacific Insects 23(1-2): 112-188 [152]

 

Introduction

This beautiful species is distributed fairly widely in far north Queensland. Evans (1981) refered to the type being from Cairns but, as pointed out by Medler (1987), Kirkaldy's species did not have primary types designated although one specimen in each series usually bears a "holotype" label invalidly added to those specimens later. BPBM distributes these specimens as if they are valid holotypes, which they are not, all specimens having syntype status. However, if it can be demonstrated that there is only one syntype of this species from Cairns, then Evans' (1981) reference to a "type" may constitute a lectotype designation by default.

 

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

 

Diagnosis

Apparently allied to [Plexitartessus] pulchellus [(Spångberg)], but differing by the form of the genitalia and by the vertex being obtuse-angular. Face immaculate, borders of the pieces rather more obscure, lateral margin of frons fairly straight. Sterna and sternites testaceous. Venation similar to pulchellus, but the median (inner discoidal) cell is longer, the crossvein in the subcostal straight; the first subapical cell is very wide apically, consequently the apical part of the subcostal is very narrow and acute; subapical cells extending about equally far apically. Length ♂ 8¾ mm. (Kirkaldy 1907).

 

Diagnosis References

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1907. Leafhoppers — Supplement (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 3: 1-186 [44–45]

 

General References

Evans, F. 1981. The Tartessinae of Australia, New Guinea and some adjacent Islands (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Pacific Insects 23(1-2): 112-188 [152]

Medler, J.T. 1987. Types of Flatidae (Homoptera) XI. Taxonomic notes on Kirkaldy Types in the Bishop Museum, with illustrations of the genitalia of male lectotypes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 27: 115-125 [115]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
20-Sep-2011		20-Sep-2011	MOVED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)