Tribe Rubrini Jones, 2009

Rubria sanguinosa (Stål), type species of the type genus Rubria Stål.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Rubrini Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120 [58].

  Type genus:

   Rubria Stål, 1865.

Introduction

Evans (1966) conjectured that Rubria Stål differed from other genera of the Ledrini but chose not to separated it into its own tribe pending a more comprehensive revision of the world Ledrinae. Such a revision was undertaken by Jones & Deitz (2009) who confirmed that Rubria warranted its own tribe and created the tribe Rubrini for it. The tribe is endemic to Australia and Tasmania except for a single species described from Papua New Guinea by Evans (1969) which Jones & Deitz (2009) considered was doubtfully placed in the tribe. There are four Australian species described in the genus Rubria but Evans (1966) suggested that there may be many more undescribed species.

Diagnosis

Medium to moderately sized leafhoppers. Crown texture acinose, without depressions or irregularities; crowns of males shorter, roughly pentagonal, in females longer, sometimes much longer than in males, more parabolic, setae absent, longitudinal medial carina complete, marginal carina present or absent, short depressed groove immediately laterad of ocelli in some species, crown transversely cambered; head lamellate, face microtextured, dark pigmentation absent, overall concave but medially somewhat convex, anterolateral margins not especially foliate; frontoclypeus with depressed lateral margins; epistomal suture incomplete; lora/genae somewhat tumid; anterior tentorial pit a thin slit slightly open, adjacent to frontoclypeus. Pronotum devoid of depressions, transversely wrinkled, lateral carina absent, lateral margins angled, giving sides of pronotum a boxlike shape; head and pronotum moderately flexed ventrally at posterior margin of pronotum; proepisternum small, tab-like, underlapping genae; scutellum flat; forewing venation regular, veins not raised, setae on fore edge of forewing absent; pro- and mesothoracic tibiae intermediately quadrate, mesotibia row II apical triangular patch of scalelike setae absent; metathoracic femur macrosetae formula 2 + 0, macrosetae mounted on a narrow, prominent base. Male genitalia: aedeagus slender throughout; apex of style flexed ventrally but not subsequently curving anterad; subgenital plates dorsoventrally depressed; pygofer with inner, subapical, dorsomedial processes. Female genitalia: ovipositor shorter than pygofer; basal arms of valvulae I connected by sclerotized bridge, texture strigate; valvulae II strongly sclerotized, first and second dorsal teeth absent; ten or fewer nonsclerotized dorsal teeth present (Jones & Deitz 2009).

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2009 and updates). Key to the leafhoppers and treehoppers of Australia and neighbouring areas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/index.html

Diagnosis References

Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120 [58]

General References

Evans, J.W. 1966. The leafhoppers and froghoppers of Australia and New Zealand. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 12: 1-347 [96]

Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120 [58]

History of changes