Genus Ricanoptera Melichar, 1898

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• Ricanoptera Melichar, L. 1898. Vorläufige Beschreibungen neuer Ricaniiden. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 48: 384-400 [391].

  Type species:

   Ricanoptera inculta Melichar, 1898 by subsequent designation, see Distant, W.L. 1906. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma 3: 1-503 [382].

Introduction

This genus, as recognised by Melichar, is mainly SE Asian but species are known from Africa and Madagascar. Three species are recorded from Australia and all are apparently endemic. However, the genus needs revision to determine whether all the species are congeneric and it is possible that the three Australian species occur in New Guinea, or even eastern Indonesia. At present there are no species of this genus in New Guinea which is probably a reflection of the lack of taxonomic attention that the family Ricaniidae has received in our region. Only one of the Australian species has a reasonably clearly defined locality which is Cairns in the wet tropics of North Queensland. The other species were simply described from Queensland and Australia. It is possible that all three species are tropical in their distributions. This is supported by the tropical distribution of the genus generally.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Die Längsnerven der Deckflügel ziemlich weit von einander gerückt, mit wenig Quernerven. Die Quernerven der Costalmembran nicht dicht, im Clavus zahlreiche Quernerven (Melichar 1898).

Tête et thorax formés comme chez Ricania. Elytres tantôt hyalins, tachetés de macules ou de bandes transversales fanées, tantôt de couleur foncée, maculée de brun, tantôt mais rarement complétement hyalines (R. inculta Mel.). Nervures assez éloignées l'une de l'autre, réunies par des nervures transversales peu nombreuses, qui dessinent une ou deux, rarement plusieurs lignes subapicales. Nervures transversales de la membrane costale également distantes, quelquefois elles sont un peu plus serrées, mais jamais aussi densément que chez Pochazia. Sur le clavus de nombreuses nervures transversales. Deux ou trois épines sur les tibias postérieurs (Melichar 1923).

ID Keys

Fletcher 2008: 108

Fletcher, M.J. (2008) Illustrated Key to the Described Genera of the family Ricaniidae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/ricaniidae/ric00.htm

Diagnosis References

Fletcher, M.J. 2008. A key to the genera of Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) recorded in Australia with notes on the Australian fauna, including a new species of Epithalamium Kirkaldy. Australian Journal of Entomology 47: 107-120 [108]

Melichar, L. 1898. Vorläufige Beschreibungen neuer Ricaniiden. Verhandlungen der Kaiserlich-Königlichen Zoologisch-Botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 48: 384-400 [391]

Melichar, L. 1923. Homoptera. Fam. Acanaloniidae, Flatidae et Ricaniidae. Genera Insectorum 182: 1-185 [134]

History of changes