Genus Sophonia Walker, 1870

Museums

Regional Maps

• Sophonia Walker, F. 1870. Catalogue of the Homopterous insects collected in the Indian Archipelago by Mr A.R. Wallace, with descriptions of new species. Journal of the Linnean Society of London, Zoology 10: 276-330 [327].

  Type species:

   Sophonia rufitelum Walker, 1870 by monotypy.
• Pseudonirvana Baker, C.F. 1923. The Jassoidea related to the Stenocotidae with special reference to Malayan species. Philippine Journal of Science 23: 345-405 [386].

  Type species:

   Pseudonirvana sandakanensis Baker, 1923 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• China, W.E. 1924. Synonymical notes on Jassoidea (Hemiptera). The Entomologist 57: 144 [144] (synonymy of Pseudonirvana Baker)

Introduction

The is another oriental genus which extends into Queensland with a single endemic species. The genus is reasonably widespread in the Oriental Region with the two spotted leafhopper, Sophonia orientalis (Matsumura) [= Sophonia rufofascia Kuoh & Kuoh] recognised as a pest of vegetables. The species was introduced to Hawaii in 1999 and quickly became invasive there. It spread to the Cook Islands in 2004 and has also been recorded in Orange County, California, and in Tahiti, but has not been reported as invasive in these other locations. It represents a biosecurity threat to Australia and can be recognised by its yellow-brown colouring with percurrent black median dorsal longitudinal stripe and the present of a round black spot in the apical portion of each forewing.

Distribution

States

Queensland

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

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

Diagnosis

Faem. Corpus gracillimum. Caput depressum, longiconicum. Female. Body very slender. Head flat, elongate conical.
The shape of the head will distinguish Norsia and Sophonia from the other genera of lassides (Walker 1870).

The labium extends to between the apices of the fore coxae, the anteclypeus narrows anteriorly and the lora are narrow. The maxillary plates are apically lobe-like and the frontoclypeus, in the centre, is widely flat to slightly concave and slopes steeply laterally. From above, the sides of the face are narrowly visible and the crown, which is margined by a low carina, is apically flattened and posteriorly slightly convex. The ocelli are on the crown of the head, anterior to, and close to, the eyes. The pronotum is parallel-sided and the tegmina, which may be apically rounded or blunt, have obscure venation. R1a slopes bckwards (Evans 1966, of Pseudonirvana).

ID Keys

Evans 1966: 151–152

History of changes