Species Siphanta tropica Fletcher, 1985

Siphanta tropica Fletcher, adult

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Siphanta tropica Fletcher, M.J. 1985. Revision of the genus Siphanta Stål (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae). Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series 110: 1-94 [18].

  Type data:

   Holotype QM T.9390 ♂ (coll.: viii.1927, H. Hacker (remounted 29.viii.1981)), Dunk Island, Queensland.

Introduction

This species is known from localities along the eastern coastline of Queensland. It belongs to the acuta group and fits into a closely related subgroup comprising S. solitaria, S. similis, S. hackeri, S. recurva and S. kurandae. These species all have the red coloration on the head and legs reduced, the lateral margins of the frons evenly convex without a prominence level with the antennae and the sutural angle of the tegmen rightangled or nearly so.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

Qld: South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

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 indicated near apex. Tegmen 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. Individuals may lack all red coloration and show other variation.
S. tropica. Red colour on head and legs absent in all specimens seen. Granules on tegmen concolorous with ground colour of tegmen. Frons with three clear carinae, median nearly percurrent; vertex with apical margin roundly produced, angulately prominent medially. Tegmen with apical angle rounded; sutural angle rounded rightangle; apical margin slightly convex. Male pygofer lacking process. Paramere triangular with prominent pointed process. Female second valvulae gap widely U-shaped, valvulae short, divergent to apices (Fletcher 1985).

ID Keys

Fletcher 1985: 4–6
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 [18]

History of changes