Tribe Thymbrini Evans, 1937

Thymbris convivus (Stål), type species of the type genus of Thymbrini.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Thymbrini Evans, J.W. 1937. Australian Leafhoppers (Jassoidea, Homoptera). Part 5. — Euscelidae (in part). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1936: 51-71 [52].

  Type genus:

   Thymbris Kirkaldy, 1907.

Introduction

The Thymbrini were originally one of two tribes recognised by Evans (1937) in the "Australian arboreal Euscelinae", the other being the Tartessusini. Later, Evans (1947) he separated the Thymbrini from the Tartessinae and placed them, along with the Stenocotini, in the subfamily Ledrinae. Jones & Deitz (2009) returned these two tribes to the Tartessinae and reduced the Tartessinae sensu F. Evans (1981) to a third tribe, the Tartessini. Unlike the Tartessini which have a well developed appendix on the tegmen, the Thymbrini have no, or a negligible, appendix. They also have three spines at the apex of the hind tibia. The Thymbrini are entirely Australasian with some Australian genera extending into New Guinea and a single dominant genus, Novothymbris Evans, with 16 endemic species in New Zealand. The Australian fauna includes 72 species in 14 genera, the largest of which is Putoniessa Kirkaldy with 31 species. The major Australian genera were revised by M.M. Stevens in a series of papers between 1990 and 1994.

Diagnosis

The head varies considerably in shape. The labium is of moderate length and the anteclypeus, which is long and narrow, is recurved anteriorly or depressed below the level of the lora and the postclypeus. The maxillary plates are of moderate width and vestigial maxillary sutures may be discernible. The frons, which may be a distinct sclerite or have lost its separate identity, may be entirely facial in position, or extend on to the crown. The antennae are usually short but may extend beyond the sides of the head and the antennal ledges, which are strong, are either transverse or oblique; the antennal depressions are of moderate depth. The ocelli are situated on the crown and, in those species in which the head is not produced, they are separated from the hind margin of the frons or frontoclypeus by a well-defined transverse ridge which extends laterally as far as the eyes and which may be marginal in position. The tibiae are quadrilateral in section and the hind tibiae, which are often long and slender, bear a row of strong spines mounted on prominent bases which decrease in size from the apex of the tibia to the base. They have also, as well as rows of smaller spines, a double row of apical transverse spines. The venation of the tegmen is complete and the appendix is small (Evans 1947).

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2009 and updates). Key to the leafhoppers and treehoppers of Australia and neighbouring areas (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/index.html [accessed: 31.i.2012]

Diagnosis References

Evans, J.W. 1947. A natural classification of leafhoppers (Jassoidea, Homoptera) Part 3. Jassidae. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 98(6): 105-271 [136]

General References

Evans, F. 1981. The Tartessinae of Australia, New Guinea and some adjacent Islands (Homoptera: Cicadellidae). Pacific Insects 23(1-2): 112-188

Evans, J.W. 1937. Australian Leafhoppers (Jassoidea, Homoptera). Part 5. — Euscelidae (in part). Papers and Proceedings of the Royal Society of Tasmania 1936: 51-71 [52]

Evans, J.W. 1947. A natural classification of leafhoppers (Jassoidea, Homoptera) Part 3. Jassidae. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 98(6): 105-271 [135–137]

Jones, J.R. & Deitz, L.L. 2009. Phylogeny and systematics of the leafhopper subfamily Ledrinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae). Zootaxa (2186): 1–120 [66–67]

History of changes