Species Sephena conspersa Melichar, 1902

Sephena conspersa Melichar, adult

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Sephena conspersa Melichar, L. 1902. Monographie der Acanaloniiden und Flatiden (Homoptera) (Fortsetzung). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums in Wien 17: 1-253 [125].

  Type data:

   Lectotype HNHM ♂ (coll: C. Ribbe), Shortland Island, Solomon Islands.
  Paralectotype(s) HNHM ♀ (coll: C. Ribbe), Shortland Island, Solomon Islands.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Medler, J.T. 1985. Types of Flatidae (Homoptera) III. Lectotype designations and taxonomic notes on species in the Budapest Museum. Folia Entomologica Hungarica 46(2): 111-116 [111].
• Sephena punctulosa Distant, W.L. 1911. Rhynchota from the Solomon Islands. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 8 8: 384-388 [387].

  Type data:

   Lectotype BMNH ♂ (coll: vii–viii.1909, W.W. Froggatt), Solomon Islands.
  Paralectotype(s) BMNH ♀, Ceram, Indonesia
  Comment: Medler (1990) only found two syntypes, one of which was male and he designated it as lectotype. The other specimen, which bears Walker’s “punctulosa” label, is said by Medler (1990) not to be conspecific with the lectotype and left it as a syntype. However, since it was part of Distant’s type series, Medler’s (1990) designation of a lectotype makes this specimen a paralectotype under ICZN Art. 74.1.3.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Medler, J.T. 1990. Types of Flatidae (Homoptera) XIV. Walker and Distant types in the British Museum. Oriental Insects 24: 127–195 [178].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Medler, J.T. 1989. New Guinea Flatidae (Homoptera) species collected on economic and other plants, with descriptions of new species. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Entomology 2: 1-79 [35] (synonymy of Sephena punctulosa Distant)

Introduction

This species is distributed from Papua New Guinea to the Solomon Islands with a record from Cairns, in the wet tropics of North Queensland. Medler (1989) gives 11 host records for the species. The paralectotype from Ceram, Indonesia, is a different species (Medler 1990).

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

Overall colour of tegmina and body green, ochraceous or ivory white, tegmina showing considerable variation in intensity of red spots and vein markings. Vertex, pro- and mesonotum with red median stripe, tip of scutellum red, sides of pronotum with small red dots, sides of mesonotum with red stripes similar to median stripe. Tegmen spots greatly variable but often disposed as follows: ca. 4 small spots in clavus adjacent to claval suture; 4 larger spots in cubital cell adjacent to claval suture; prominent spot basally in cubital cell, on discal cell crossvein, and im crossvein; small spots on crossveins between branches of M in discal and apical areas. Red dots basally in clavus and in cell along costal margin; vein terminations on apical and postclaval margins red. Concave apical margin adjacent to the 90º sutural angle is a helpful recognition character; postclaval sutural margin slightly convex, margin incised at apex of clavus. Hind leg spine formula: male 1 : 5 : 6, female 1 : 6 : 7 (Medler 1989)

Medler (1989, 2001) provided an illustration of the male genitalia.

ID Keys

Medler 2001: 41–43

Diagnosis References

Medler, J.T. 1989. New Guinea Flatidae (Homoptera) species collected on economic and other plants, with descriptions of new species. Bishop Museum Bulletin in Entomology 2: 1-79 [35–36]

Medler, J.T. 2001. Flatidae of New Guinea and adjacent areas (Homoptera: Flatidae). Bishop Museum Bulletin in Entomology 8: 1-117 [48]

History of changes