Genus Polychaetophyes Kirkaldy, 1906

Museums

Regional Maps

• Polychaetophyes Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [384].

  Type species:

   Polychaetophyes serpulidia Kirkaldy, 1906 by subsequent designation, see Schmidt, E. 1912. Zue Kenntnis aussereuropäischer Cercopiden (Hemiptera-Homoptera). Stettiner Entomologische Zeitung 72: 165-178 [173].

 

Introduction

Although originally described with two species, this genus is now recognised as being monotypic following the synonymy of P. aequalior Kirkaldy with Pectinophyes stalii (Spångberg) by Maa (1963). The remaining species, Polychaetophyes serpulidia Kirkaldy is distinctive in its humpbacked appearance and its pinkish brown colouring with transverse whitish bands on the tegmen and is widespread across northern Australia.

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA: Gulf Fall and Uplands (GFU) ; NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA: Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Gulf Plains (GUP), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Sturt Plateau (STU), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Diagnosis

Vertex almost vertical, verv short, transverse. Ocelli much nearer to one another than to the eyes. Frons perpendicular (at apex) to the vertex, at base about one third of the width of the vertex, broadening out a little towards the middle tumid, somewhat lightly roundly impressed near the base (as seen ventrally, (the actual basal part is on the dorsal part of the head.) Antennal peduncle short and small, antennal ridges somewhat deep. Clypeus reaching to apex of anterior coxae. Rostrum reaching beyond base of middle coxae. Pronotum roundly declivous, transversely striate, wider than head and eyes, posterior margin deeply roundly excavated in the middle. Scutellum much longer than wide, posteriorly acuminately produced. Tegmina subhyaline, strongly punctured especially on clavus, with scattered granules on the veins, apical margin of clavus obliquely truncate (or, if the claval appendix be not counted, acute, not acuminate), membrane (and clavus apically) with an appendix. Wings with the anal vein forked near the base. Legs very short, especially the posterior femora ; posterior tibiae with one long, acuminate spine about the middle of outside edge and one tiny subbasal acute spine (Kirkaldy 1906).

Body of medium size, robust, strongly humpbacked, about 7/10 as deep in profile as broad. Head much narrower than pronotum. Anteclypeus not keeled; postclypeus flat, not foveate. Pleurostome broader than lorum, with short fine decumbent hairs; its lower end plane, with a long suture to separate it from lorum; maxillary plate hardly exposed. Eye about as long as wide; inner margin almost in contact with hind margin of head. Tylus distinctly narrower than eye, about as broad as side piece of vertex. Supra-antennal triangle poorly defined. Ocelli much closer to each other than to eyes. Pronotum coarsely rugose; anterolateral margin sharply carinate. Scutellum low, medially flattened, weakly elevated at sides, no preapical constriction; its apex weakly depressed. Tegmen hyaline, densely punctate at basal 2/5; cells at apical 1/2 all smooth and fairly concave; veins strong; venation normal; corial appendix reaching 3/5 of apical tegminal margin; clavus apically acute. Hind tibia with 2 lateral spines, the major one shorter than 1/2 of breadth of tibial apex; outer and inner apical lobes of hind tarsomeres as in Taihorina. Female anal segment almost entirely concealed; anal style as long as profile depth at base; ovipositor-sheath vertical. (Maa 1963)

 

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2001) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the subfamily Machaerotinae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/cercopid/machaero/mach00.htm [accessed 20.iv.2012]

 

Diagnosis References

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [384–385]

Maa, T.C. 1963. A review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). Pacific Insects Monographs 5: 1-166 [36]

 

General References

Maa, T.C. 1963. A review of the Machaerotidae (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea). Pacific Insects Monographs 5: 1-166 [36]

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
27-Apr-2012		27-Apr-2012	MODIFIED
31-May-2010		31-May-2010	ADDED
31-May-2010		31-May-2010	ADDED
		24-Mar-2010	MODIFIED