Species Siphanta eberhardi Fletcher, 1985

Siphanta eberhardi Fletcher, adult

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Siphanta eberhardi Fletcher, M.J. 1985. Revision of the genus Siphanta Stål (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae). Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 110: 1-94 [10].

  Type data:

   Holotype ASCU ♂ (coll.: 11.iii.1981, on avocado, M.J. Fletcher & G.R. Brown), 15 km E of Lismore, New South Wales.

Introduction

This species was placed by Fletcher (1985) in the acuta group. Externally, it is very similar to S. angularis Fletcher and S. hebes (Walker) and females of these species are practically unidentifiable. It has been recorded on a number of different tropical fruits, including avocado, mango and jackfruit and is known from SE Queensland and NE New South Wales as well as on Lord Howe Island. The species was named "for my friend and colleague Dr Eberhard Schicha, who has given me much encouragement in this work" (Fletcher 1985).

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld: South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Other Regions

Lord Howe Island terrestrial & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

acuta group. Head produced medially in front of eyes so that frons apically convex and vertex at least half as long as wide. Frons with three short longitudinal carinae indicated near apex. Tegmen usually triangular with apical angle rounded and sutural angle right-angled or acutely produced dorsally. M1+2 branched level with apex of clavus. Coloration green or grey-green, often fading to yellow in dried specimens. Males usually duller than females. Apex of head, apices of fore- and mid-tibiae and all tarsi and often lateral angles of frons marked with red. Tegmen with minute granulations in all cells leaving bare circular spot in centre of each cell. Costal margin pallid, then narrowly red around apical margin and claval margin to apex of clavus. This colour pattern is fairly stable throughout the group (variation is noted below) but individuals may lack all red coloration or show other individual variation.
S. eberhardi. Green to grey-green. Some specimens with pale green band faintly visible immediately interior to red margin, which is broken by apices of veins. Head with vertex evenly rounded anteriorly. Tegmen with sharply rounded apical angle and sutural angle produced dorsally to point; apical margin straight. Male pygofer with strong elongate process abruptly pointed, straight or slightly curved ventrally. Paramere with strongly convex dorsal margin before process so that widest part of paramere is in basal half. Process more or less clavate with pointed apex. Female third valvulae broadly triangular with pilose area ventral. Second valvulae gap broad with valvulae slightly convergent apically (Fletcher 1985).

ID Keys

Fletcher 1985: 4
Fletcher, M.J. (2005). Illustrated Key to the species of the genus Siphanta Stål (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/flatid/siphanta/siph00.htm

Diagnosis References

Fletcher, M.J. 1985. Revision of the genus Siphanta Stål (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae). Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 110: 1-94 [10–11]

History of changes