Species Varcia flavicostalis (Kirby, 1889)

Museums

Regional Maps

• Varcia flavicostalis Kirby, W.F. 1889. On the insects (exclusive of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) of Christmas Island. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1888: 546-555 [Date published 1 April 1889] [554].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH ♂, quantity unknown (possible holotype by monotypy), Christmas Island.

Generic Combinations

• Varcia flavicostalis (Kirby, 1889). —
  Melichar, L. 1898. Monographie der Ricaniiden (Homoptera). Annalen des Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums in Wien 13: 197-359 [319]

Introduction

This is one of two species of the genus described by Kirby (1889) from Christmas Island. They differ mainly in coloration but Kirby (1889) indicates that he has at least one male for each species so an examination of the male genitalia of his type material will determine whether the colour differences are of species significance.

Distribution

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: phloem feeder.

Diagnosis

Exp. al. 22 lin.; long. corp. 9 lin. Male. Very similar to the last species [Varcia affinis (Kirby)], but darker above, the brown bands on the clypeus beyond the inner carinae darker; under surface of body yellow, with irregular black markings beneath the wings, and a large spot on the pectus between the first two pairs of legs; abdomen not banded with green above, but with a row of yellow spots on the sides. Wings hyaline, not tinged with yellow on the costa or inner margin, but with a yellow spot on the costa (likewise edged with black within) before the black stigma; below the stigma are some small brown blotches along the line of the inner row of transverse cells; there are also two small brown spots nearer the base on the lower half of the wing; hind margin brown for about one sixth of the width of the wing, and marked with two irregular hyaline spaces, each covering several cells; close to the hind margin runs an interrupted row of small hyaline dots. Hind wings hyaline edged with brown, except towai'ds the anal angle. Neuration nearly as in the last species [Varcia affinis (Kirby)], but the outer row of transverse cells less numerous (Kirby 1889).

Diagnosis References

Kirby, W.F. 1889. On the insects (exclusive of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) of Christmas Island. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1888: 546-555 [Date published 1 April 1889] [554–555]

History of changes