The Pacific Iassine cicadellid genus Thalattoscopus (Homoptera)

The Pacific Iassine genus Thalattoscopus is revised and distinguished from Batracomorphus on external and male genitalic characters. Of 21 species included, 12 are newly described and two are treated as nomina dubia. A key to species is given, four new synonymies and eight new combinations are established.     

Two New Genera and Two New Species of Teruliine Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae)

Two new genera and two new species of leafhoppers in the tribe Teruliini are desribed and illustrated. New genera include: Perspinolidia , type-species Perspinolidia peruviensis , n. sp., and Brevicapitorus , type-species brevicapitorus elongatus , n. sp. Both genera are monobasic and occur in the Neotropical region.     

New genus and species of leafhopper in the tribe Tinobregmini (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae)

A new genus, Stenolidia , and new species, S. magna (type species), are described and illustrated. Stenolidia from Guyana is the fifth genus in the tribe Tinobregmini and the third that has come to light since the tribe was revised in 1975.     

An account of the mealybug genus Paraputo Laing (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae) in the Pacific region

The mealybug genus Paraputo is discussed from the Pacific region and three new species, P. aracearum sp. nov., P. chimbuensis sp. nov., and P. guadalcanalae sp. nov., are described and illustrated. They are discussed with two species, P. kukumi Williams and P. leveri (Green), already known from the area. Most of the species are found on economic plants and one of the mealybugs, P. leveri, has been recorded as possibly invasive. A key to adult females is provided.     

Notes on the Amazonian genus Hyogonia China (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Proconiini) with a description of a new species

Oncometopia batesi Distant, described from northern Brazil (State unknown), is transferred to the genus Hyogonia China. Hyogonia brasiliana sp. nov. is described from Northern Brazil, Pará State, the easternmost record of the genus. The new species is easily distinguished from all other Hyogonia species by the following combination of characters: (1) pronotum without distinct transverse contrasting band; (2) pygofer with short processes that do not attain its apex; (3) both pairs of aedeagal atrial processes divergent and short, never longer than aedeagal shaft; and (4) aedeagal caudal pair of atrial processes with bases close to each other, appearing as a single bifurcated robust process. Hyogonia batesi and H. brasiliana, together with an unidentified female from Acre State, represent the first authentic records of the genus Hyogonia from Brazil. Previous records of H. reticulata (Melichar) and H. youngi Emmrich and Lauterer from Brazil are erroneous as their recorded locality ‘Cumbase’ is most probably located in Peru (San Martín Department). Other new records from countries and major federal divisions are noted as follows: the genus Hyogonia (unidentified species) from Barinas State (Venezuela); H. batesi from Ecuador (Orellana Province); H. reticulata from Amazonas and Junín Departments (Peru); and H. youngi from Ecuador (Napo Province). A key to the known species of Hyogonia is provided.     

Taxonomic review of a new genus,Diathera gen. n., from Southeast Asia (Lepidoptera,Geometridae: Larentiinae)

Diathera gen. n., a new larentiine genus from central and southwestern China, is described. Three new species are named and described: fluctuata sp. n., metacolorata sp. n. and brunneata sp. n. All species and their genitalia are described and illustrated. A key is provided and the monophyly of the genus and its relationships to the allied taxa are briefly discussed.     

New genus, Aplanusiella , and two new species of leafhoppers from southwestern United States (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae)

A new genus, Aplanusiella (type-species, Aplanusiella utahensis , n. sp.) and two new species, A. utahensis and A. californiensis , are described and illustrated. The two species are allopatric and coexist on the same host genus ( Atriplex ) with members of a closely allied leafhopper genus, Aplanus . Notes on distribution of hosts and leafhoppers as well as leafhopper intergenetic relationships are also given.     

New oriental genus of leafhoppers in the tribe Coelidiini with descriptions of new species (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Coelidiinae)

Two new species, Paracarinolidia longiseta and P. glabra from Brazil and French Guiana, respectively, are described and illustrated. A revised key to males of five know species is also presented. The genus is now known to occur in Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, and French Guiana.     

A checklist and key to species of the genus Sophonia (Insecta: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadellidae: Nirvaninae) in China with descriptions of two new species

This paper provides a checklist and a key to the 22 Chinese species of the nirvanine leafhopper genus Sophonia Walker. Two new species, Sophonia transvittata sp. nov. and S. yunnanensis sp. nov., are described and illustrated. The type specimens of the new species are deposited in the Institute of Entomology, Guizhou University, Guiyang, China (IEGUC).     

Cichlid familial intrarelationships and the placement of the neotropical genus Cichla (Perciformes,Labroidei)

The current status of our understanding of cichlid intrafamilial relationships is investigated and novel data are presented resolving a basal trichotomy of the African and Neotropical radiations (Oliver, 1985). The claim that the African Cichlidae is non-monophyletic is supported and the little known Zairean genus Heterochromis is identified as the sistergroup of all other African and Neotropical Cichlidae combined. Throughout the study emphasis has been placed upon the resolution of the precise phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic Neotropical genus, Cichla; a taxon whose placement has been thought critical for successful intra-familial analyses. Analysis of the evidence currently available argues strongly in favour of a close phylogenetic relationship between Cichla and the sisterpair, Crenicichla and Teleocichla. Given this phylogenetic scheme one of the most interesting aspects to arise is the striking morphological parallels between Cichla and many of its distantly related percoid relatives.     

The stylet structure of a leafhopper (Eupteryx melissae Curtis: Homoptera,Cicadellidae)

Summary

The structure of the mandibular and maxillary stylets of the leafhopper Eupteryx melissae Curtis is described and comparisons made between them and the stylets of Heteroptera and other Homoptera with particular reference to the apical barbs, the marginal hairs and the stylet cavities. Maxillary barbs are absent but the flanges of both pairs of stylets bear microtrichia, those of the maxillaires much reduced. The axial stylet cavity of the mandibular is single, but that of the maxillary bifurcated distally: there is some evidence that the cavities of both pairs of stylets contain nerve fibres. The salivary canal is confined to the right maxillary stylet and both it and the food canal maintain constant dimensions along the stylet shaft so facilitating movement of one stylet upon the other, an important feature during plant penetration. There is some evidence, particularly from staining reactions, that the stylets contain resilin, but if present, it is overlaid and masked physically and functionally by chitinous cuticle.     

Two new Encarsia species (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) reared from eggs of Cicadellidae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) in Argentina: an unusual new host association

Males of two undescribed Encarsia species were reared from eggs of two cicadellid species during a study of egg parasitoids of corn leafhopper, Dalbulus maidis (DeLong and Wolcott) in northwestern Argentina. Samples were collected during the summer of 2004–2007 using sentinel eggs, and several males of a new species of Encarsia (Hymenoptera: Chalcidoidea: Aphelinidae) were obtained. A single male of a closely related Encarsia species, also previously undescribed, was reared from an egg of another cicadellid on maize, Plesiommata mollicella (Fowler). These are the first records of any Encarsia species reared from eggs of Cicadellidae. The two new species are described as Encarsia dalbulae Polaszek and Luft Albarracin sp. nov., and Encarsia mollicellae Polaszek and Luft Albarracin sp. nov.     

The deltocephaline leafhopper genus Hishimonoides in the Indian subcontinent (Homoptera)

The genus Hishimonides and the species Hishimonoides orientalis Mahmood are redefined. Three new species of the genus, namely H. arbudae (from Rajasthan: Mount Abu), H. bougainvilleae (from Karnataka: Bangalore; Tamil Nadu: Burliar) and H. setosus (from Karnataka: Bandipur; Rajasthan: Mount Abu) are described and illustrated. A key to the seven species known in the genus is given. H. bougainvilleae was found on Bougainvillea spectabilis Willd. (Nyctaginaceae).     

Aestivating sexual morphs in the aphid genus Thelaxes (Insecta: Homoptera)

The sexual morphs of the aphid Thelaxes dryophila are redescribed and compared with the sexuales of other Thelaxes species. The unusual life-cycle of the species, in which the immature sexuales pass the entire summer aestivating, is also described.     

Distribution of the Pacific coconut mealybug,Dysmicoccus cocotis (Maskell) and of a new related species on coconut in southern Asia (Hemiptera: Coccoidea: Pseudococcidae)

A new species of mealybug from southern Asia, Dysmicoccus finitimus sp. nov., is described. It has often been confused with D. cocotis (Maskell), to which it is closely related. Both species are common on coconut and often occur in sufficient numbers to cause growers concern. D. cocotis is known from a wide area of Micronesia, Polynesia and Melanesia, but it is not known to occur west of the Federated States of Micronesia in the north and Fiji in the south. There are no records of D. cocotis from the Solomon Islands or Papua New Guinea, despite extensive collecting on coconut in these territories. D. finitimus is confined to southern India, Sri Lanka, Cocos (Keeling) Islands and peninsular Malaysia. There are no records yet of the new species from Indonesia.     

A revision of the genus Metallolophia Warren (Lepidoptera,Geometridae, Geometrinae)

The Geometrine genus Metallolophia is revised. In addition to the 11 species known, five new species are described as new. All the known species are redescribed and lectotypes are designated for M. opalina (Warren), M. arenaria (Leech) and M. danielaria (Oberthür) (=M. arenaria (Leech)). The male of M. ocellata (Warren) and the females of M. medullosa Inoue and M. devecisi Herbulot are described for the first time. The generic characters based on all species are summarized and a key to all taxa is given. Illustrations of moths and genitalia are presented. The new and revised taxa are: Metallolophia purpurivenata sp. nov., Metallolophia cuneataria sp. nov., Metallolophia inanularia sp. nov., Metallolophia flavomaculata sp. nov., Metallolophia stueningi sp. nov. and Metallolophia ostrumaria Xue, syn. nov. (of Metallolophia albescens Inoue).