Genus Ronaldia Emeljanov, 2000

Museums

Regional Maps

• Ronaldia Emeljanov, A.F. 2000. New genera of the family Cixiidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea) from Australia and neighbouring Territories. Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie (English translation as Entomological Reviews) 79(1): 12-34 [22].

  Type species:

   Ronaldia fennahi Emeljanov, 2000 by original designation.

  Secondary source:

   Emeljanov, A.F. 2000. New genera of the Family Cixiidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea) from Australia and neighboring Territories. [translation]. Entomological Review (English translation of Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie) 80(3): 251-270 [261].

Introduction

This genus contains two pale brown species with contrasting black mesonotum. Löcker et al. (2006) found that females could be identified to genus only and queried Emeljanov's (2000) designation of female paratypes. Females identified as belonging to Ronaldia by Löcker et al. (2006) extend the distribution of the genus to New South Wales and Queensland whereas males are only known from near Adelaide, South Australia, and near Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, South Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

ACT, SA: Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), South Eastern Highlands (SEH)

Diagnosis

Colour. Head yellow; pronotum yellow, sometimes with brown areas; mesonotum dark brown to black; legs yellow. Morphology. Body length. ♂ 3.9–4.6 mm, ♀ 3.6–5.1 mm. Head. Vertex 0.7–0.9× as long as wide, produced before eyes by less than 1/4 of an eye length; apex broadly pointed; caudal border u- to v-shaped; lateral carinae slightly elevated. Frons 1.1–1.4× longer than wide, lateral carinae slightly elevated, lateral margins foliaceous, concealing base of antennae; median carina complete. Frontoclypeal suture semicircular, median part reaching at least lower margin of antennal scape; postclypeus with well developed lateral carinae and median carina; anteclypeus with well developed median carina, distinctly more elevated than that of postclypeus. Thorax. Pronotum with sinuate carinae. Concavity at costal border of forewing absent; Sc+R+M forming common stem; r–m1 distad of fork MA–MP; position of icu at CuP distad of apex of clavus. Row of apical teeth of hind tibia interrupted by a narrow gap; 1st tarsomere lacking platellae. Male genitalia. Pygofer with truncate ventromedian process. Aedeagus: phallotheca with a straight or curved spine arising left laterally above midlength, and a foliaceous ventral ridge forming long spine-like process apically; flagellum with or without two apical teeth. (Löcker et al. 2006)

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J., Löcker, B., Larivière, M.C. and Löcker, H. (2006). Illustrated Key to the Australian Genera of the Planthopper Tribe Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera: Cixiidae: Fulgoromorpha) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/cixiid/gelastocephalini/gel00.htm

Diagnosis References

Löcker, B., Fletcher, M.J., Larivière, M.-C., Gurr, G.M., Holzinger, W.E. & Löcker, H. 2006. Taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera: Cixiidae). Invertebrate Systematics 20: 59-160 [133]

General References

Emeljanov, A.F. 2000. New genera of the Family Cixiidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea) from Australia and neighboring Territories. [translation]. Entomological Review (English translation of Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie) 80(3): 251-270 [261]

Löcker, B., Fletcher, M.J., Larivière, M.-C., Gurr, G.M., Holzinger, W.E. & Löcker, H. 2006. Taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera: Cixiidae). Invertebrate Systematics 20: 59-160 [133]

History of changes