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Systematics, phylogeny and biogeography
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera : Cixiidae)

Birgit Löcker A F , Murray J. Fletcher A B , Marie-Claude Larivière C , Geoff M. Gurr A D , Werner E. Holzinger E and Holger Löcker A D
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Pest Biology and Management Group, University of Sydney, Leeds Parade, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.

B Department of Primary Industries, Orange Agricultural Institute, Forest Road, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.

C Landcare Research, Auckland University Tamaki Campus, Private Bag 92170, Auckland, New Zealand.

D Charles Sturt University, Leeds Parade, Orange, NSW 2800, Australia.

E Ökoteam, Institute of Faunistics and Zooecology, Bermanngasse 22, 8010 Graz, Austria.

F Corresponding author. Email: birgit.loecker@agric.nsw.gov.au

Invertebrate Systematics 20(1) 59-160 https://doi.org/10.1071/IS05005
Submitted: 14 February 2005  Accepted: 30 November 2005   Published: 20 March 2006

Abstract

Planthoppers of the family Cixiidae Spinola, 1839 are economically important owing to their ability to transmit phytoplasmas causing yellows-type diseases. The tribe Gelastocephalini Emeljanov, one of 16 tribes within the subfamily Cixiinae, has never been revised comprehensively. Twenty new genera (Aubirestus, Balyadimetopia, Barbonia, Candicarina, Corylonga, Fletcherolus, Gelastocaledonia, Gurrundus, Guttala, Hartliebia, Holgus, Larivierea, Lipsia, Melanoclypeus, Novotarberus, Payastylus, Rokebia, Schuerrera, Wernindia, Yarnikada) and 50 new species (Aubirestus semicirculatus, Balyadimetopia frederi, B. krahalla, B. marci, Barbonia spectabilis, Candicarina geroldi, C. pulchra, Carolus carinatus, C. stiriae, Corylonga aaroni, C. krottendorfi, C. leighi, C. lobata, C. loisae, C. mahmudae, C. triangula, Fletcherolus lanceolatus, F. monospinosus, Gelastocaledonia monteithi, Gelastocephalus velifer, Gurrundus fuscomarginatus, G. nectostylus, Guttala bernhardtae, G. mona, G. nickeli, G. robierae, Hartliebia towinna, Holgus ancistrus, H. liafredis, H. spiralis, H. unispinosus, Larivierea yalthi, L. yokunna, Lipsia mystrostylus, Melanoclypeus cristatus, M. uncinatus, Novotarberus flagellospinosus, N. pseudorphninus, N. remanei, Payastylus brichrius, P. gekiae, P. kernae, Rokebia australis, Ronaldia emeljanovi, Schuerrera clypeocarinata, S. ecarinata, ,Wernindia bubalis, W. lorda, W. rhomboidea, Yarnikada ulliae) are described. This increases the number of known Gelastocephalini from seven to 27 genera and from nine to 60 species. A new combination, Novotarberus jacobii, is proposed for Gelastocephalus jacobii from New Caldedonia and Cixius merula was transferred into the genus Schuerrera, resulting in a new combination, Schuerrera merula. A preliminary cladistic analysis of morphological data including all species of Gelastocephalini supported the monophyly of the tribe and its genera. The short male anal style is recognised as a synapomorphy for the tribe. The subtribe Rhigedanina was shown to be monophyletic whereas Gelastocephalina is paraphyletic. Three alternative hypotheses are presented to explain the current distribution of the tribe, which is restricted to Australia and New Caledonia. The species Novotarberus jacobii and Gelastocaledonia monteithi seem to be Gondwanan relicts.

Additional keywords: Auchenorrhyncha, Australia, biogeography, cladistic analysis, Cixiidae, Fulgoromorpha, Gelastocephalina, Gelastocephalini, New Caldedonia, Rhigedanina.


Acknowledgments

We express our gratitude to all colleagues, who provided us with specimens and/or access to their collections, in particular to Glen Bellis, Thierry Bourgoin, Lois O’Brien, Dave Britton, Margaret Humphrey, Geoff Monteith, Andrew Nigel and Tom Weir. Preliminary versions of this manuscript benefited from valuable comments of Petra Erbe and Ingrid Holzinger. We are also extremely appreciative of the support obtained throughout this project from Lois O’Brien and Paola Ceotto. References on the biogeography of Australia and New Caledonia were provided by Dan Bickel. We thank Karl Adlbauer and Matthew Kerr for their assistance in preparing loans. Andrew Mitchell kindly provided very helpful advice on phylogenetic aspects. We extend our sincere thanks to Peter Gillespie for valuable discussions on the manuscript and IT-support. For further IT-support we are especially grateful to Tim Heron, Tim Hughes, Anthony Pilley and Frazer Slack-Smith. The first author is also thankful for the fellowship of her study mates Mahmuda Begum, John Macdonald, Leigh Pilkington and Aaron Simmons. Financial support by Australian Biological Resources Study (ABRS), a division of the Australian Government’s Department of the Environment and Heritage (DEH), and in-kind support from NSW Department of Primary Industries, Landcare Research (Auckland, New Zealand) and University of Sydney are gratefully acknowledged.


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