Genus Nesoclutha Evans, 1947

Museums

Regional Maps

• Nesoclutha Evans, J.W. 1947. A new leafhopper from Victoria (Homoptera: Jassidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 15: 126-127 [126].

  Type species:

   Nesoclutha obscura Evans, 1947 by monotypy.
• Irinula Ribaut, H. 1948. Demembrement dequelques genres de Jassidae. Bulletin de la Société d'Histoire Naturelle de Toulouse 83: 57-59 [58].

  Type species:

   Cicadula erythrocephala Ferrari, 1882 by original designation.

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Vilbaste, J. 1976. A revision of Homoptera - Cicadinea described by S. Matsumura from Europe and the Mediterranean area. Eest NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised 25, Bioloogia. Vol. 1. 25-36 pp. [28]

Introduction

Vilbaste's (1976: 28) synonymy of Irinula Ribaut with Nesoclutha was based on comparison of illustrations of the relatively simple genitalia published by Ribaut (1952) of Irinula erythrocephala (Ferrari) and Evans (1947) of Nesoclutha obscura Evans, = N. phryne (Kirkaldy). Since such a nomenclatural act combines a Palaearctic genus with an Australian genus on the basis of simple line drawings, particularly as Evans noted on his reprints of Evans (1947) that the aedeagus was drawn incorrectly in that paper, it is considered desirable that further examination of the relationships between these two generic names be undertaken to validate or reject Vilbaste's (1976) action. If Vilbaste's synonymy is accepted, the genus is distributed throughout the Australian and Palaearctic regions with another species known in South Africa. The very common Australian Grass Leafhopper, N. phryne (Kirkaldy), is widespread in Australia including Lord Howe Island and Norfolk Island and also recorded in both islands of New Zealand, New Guinea and New Caledonia. An undescribed species occurs in Western Australia.

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Tas, Vic, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Carnarvon (CAR), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Central Ranges (CR), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Daly Basin (DAB), Davenport Murchison Ranges (DMR), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gawler (GAW), Gulf Plains (GUP), Great Victoria Desert (GVD), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mount Isa Inlier (MII), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Ord Victoria Plain (OVP), Pilbara (PIL), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Tanami (TAN), Tasmanian Central Highlands (TCH), Victoria Bonaparte (VB), Victorian Midlands (VM), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Lord Howe Island terrestrial & freshwater, Norfolk Island terrestrial & freshwater, Torres Strait Islands terrestrial, marine & freshwater

Diagnosis

This genus is readily identified in the Australian fauna with the head distinctly longer in the centre than against the eyes, which differentiates it from species of Balclutha Kirkaldy (except B. chloe (Kirkaldy), and lacking the two round black dots which distinguish species of Cicadulina.

ID Keys

http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/leafhop/deltocephalinae/ecokey24.htm

General References

Evans, J.W. 1947. A new leafhopper from Victoria (Homoptera: Jassidae). Memoirs of the National Museum of Victoria, Melbourne 15: 126-127 [126]

Ribaut, H. 1952. Homopterès Auchénorhynques. II (Jassidae). Faune de France 57: 1-474 [61]

Vilbaste, J. 1976. A revision of Homoptera - Cicadinea described by S. Matsumura from Europe and the Mediterranean area. Eest NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised 25, Bioloogia. Vol. 1. 25-36 pp. [28]

History of changes