Genus Smicrocotis Kirkaldy, 1906

Museums

Regional Maps

• Smicrocotis Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [370].

  Type species:

   Smicrocotis obscura Kirkaldy, 1906 by monotypy.

 

Introduction

This endemic genus currently has three recognised species but the degree of variation, particularly of S. obscura Kirkaldy, has led to a number of synonyms having been described by various authors. A critical examination of the type material for all of these names, supported by molecular and genitalic evidence, is needed to confirm the valid species in the group. The type species is known to feed at night and is tended by ants of the genus Camponotus Mayr but whether this behaviour occurs in the other species, or even throughout the range of S. obscura is unknown (Shcherbakov et.al. 2000).

 

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Australian Endemic.

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

NSW, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tasmanian Southern Ranges (TSR), Victorian Midlands (VM), Wet Tropics (WT)

Diagnosis

Allied to the preceding [Stenocotis Stål], but the head is somewhat recurved, the frons more convex and the striation on head and pronotum much coarser, the venation different, etc. Vertex very narrow, the basal margin not so emarginate as in Stenocotis, apical margin only slightly arched, recurved, the longitudinal (suboblique) striations very coarse; ocellar grooves shorter and rounder: frons more convex, antennal ridges thicker. Pronotal striations coarser. Tegmina with 5 discoidals (2 basal and 3 subapical ; the latter quite different.) (Kirkaldy 1906).

 

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2003) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the Tribe Stenocotini (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Tartessinae) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/tartessinae/sten00.htm [accessed 1.xii.2011]

 

Diagnosis References

Kirkaldy, G.W. 1906. Leafhoppers and their natural enemies. Bulletin of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Experimental Station Entomological Series 1(9): 271-479 [370]

 

General References

Shcherbakov, D.E., Fletcher, M.J. & Day, M.F. 2000. Ant attendance and nocturnal feeding of the leafhopper Smicrocotis obscura Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Ledrinae). Australian Entomologist 27(2): 39-43

 

History of changes

Published	As part of group	Action Date	Action Type	Compiler(s)
20-Sep-2011		20-Sep-2011	MOVED
		12-Feb-2010	(import)