Family TROPIDUCHIDAE Stål, 1866

Museums

Regional Maps

• Tropiduchida Stål, C. 1866. Hemiptera Homoptera Latr. Hemiptera Africana 4: 1-276 [186].

  Type genus:

   Tropiduchus Stål, 1854.

Introduction

Australia has some delightful tropiduchid planthoppers, many coloured green in life with Tambinia venusta (Kirkaldy) and Kallitambinia australis Muir being typical. Gnezdilov (2007) transferred the tribe Gaetuliini from Nogodinidae to Tropiduchidae which brought most of the lacy winged planthopper forms into the one family. Included in the Gaetuliini are two species of Alleloplasis Waterhouse which have the tegmina elongate and extremely narrow, although still with clear cells between the veins. Most tropiduchids are forest-dwelling species although K. australis is associated with mangroves and Alleloplasis spp. are found in arid areas of western and southern Australia.

Diagnosis

Capite thorace angustiore; lateribus clypei carina destitutis vel carina obtusa instructis; thorace basi saepissime angulato-emarginato, rarissime rotundato-sinuato, tricarinato, carinis lateralibus divergentibus, basin saepissime attingentibus; tegminum margine commissurali recto vel pone clavum rotundato, costa interdum dilatata, membrana costae transversim venosa; articulo primo tarsorum posticorum elongato (Stål 1866).

Hind tibia lacking mobile spur at apex; second segment of hind tarsi small with a single dark spine at each side; frons with single median carina, or lacking a carina; delicate lacy-winged insects, cells clear between the veins; clavus of forewing without conspicuous granules.

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (1999) Identification key and checklists for the Planthoppers of Australia and New Zealand (Superfamily Fulgoroidea) https://idtools.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/index.html

Diagnosis References

Stål, C. 1866. Hemiptera Homoptera Latr. Hemiptera Africana 4: 1-276 [130]

General References

Gnezdilov, V.M. 2007. On the systematic positions of the Bladinini Kirkaldy, Tonginae Kirkaldy and Trienopinae Fennah (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Zoosystematica Rossica 15: 293–297

History of changes