Spittlebugs (Family Aphrophoridae)
Philagra parva (Donovan)
The true spittlebugs are usually visible as masses of froth (sometimes called "cuckoo-spit") clinging to the stems of shrubs or small trees. This froth is not produced by all species but is used by nymphs of many species either to reduce the risk of dehydration or to deter parasites. Adults are free living. The most common and widespread species in Australia is the brown Philagra parva, which has a narrow curved horn on the front of the head, and the beetle-like Bathyllus albicinctus which feeds primarily on herbaceous plants.
New Zealand has a rich aphrophorid fauna, particularly in the genus Carystoterpa. The well known European species Philaenus spumarius has been introduced to New Zealand [update: 12.ii.2001]. Australia and New Zealand have almost mutually exclusive aphrophorid faunas even at the generic level, Carystoterpa being restricted to New Zealand except for the endemic C. fusiformis on Norfolk Island and Basilioterpa with a single species restricted to Three Kings Island (NZ) and two endemic species on Lord Howe Island (NSW). The Australian spittlebug Bathyllus albicinctus was first detected in the Whangerei region of NZ in 2004 and appears to have established a permanent population (Ashcroft and George 2004)
[update: 13.iv.2005]
- Key to Australian genera
- Aphrophoridae known in Australia
- Aphrophoridae known in New Zealand
- Aphrophoridae known in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea
- Return to previous key page
Species of spittlebugs (Aphrophoridae) known to occur in Australia
Genus Amarusa WalkerAmarusa Walker, 1857: 166 |
|
Amarusa australis (Jacobi) Eoptyelus australis Jacobi 1921:
9 |
NSW, Qld |
Genus Anyllis KirkaldyAnyllis Kirkaldy 1906: 386 |
|
Anyllis gibbosus Liang & Wang Anyllis gibbosus Liang & Wang 2012: 1011 [Update: added 24.iv.2012] |
Qld |
Anyllis leiala Kirkaldy Anyllis leiala Kirkaldy 1906:
386 |
NSW, Vic, Qld ACT, Tas |
Anyllis pseudotiegsi Liang & Wang Anyllis pseudotiegsi Liang & Wang 2012: 1016 [Update: added 24.iv.2012] |
Tas |
Anyllis spinostylus Liang Anyllis spinostylus Liang 2005: 305 [Update: added 17.v.2006; images added 8.i.2007] |
Tas |
Anyllis tiegsi (China) Neoaphrophora tiegsi China 1952:
791 |
NSW, Vic |
Genus Basilioterpa Hamilton & MoralesBasilioterpa Hamilton & Morales 1992: 12 |
|
Basilioterpa fasciata (Evans) [update: 8.ii.2001] Carystoterpa fasciata Evans 1966: 323 |
NSW (Lord Howe Is.) |
Basilioterpa pallida (Evans) [update: 8.ii.2001] Carystoterpa pallida Evans 1966: 324 |
NSW (Lord Howe Is.) |
Genus Bathyllus StålBathyllus Stål 1866a: 68Bathylus Evans 1937b: 70 (misspelling) |
|
Bathyllus albicinctus (Erichson) Aphrophora albicincta Erichson 1842: 285 Note: The species was first reported from New Zealand by Ashcroft and George (2004) [update: 13.iv.2005] |
NSW, Vic, SA, WA, Tas, ACT, NZ [update: NZ added 13.iv.2005] |
Genus Carystoterpa LallemandCarystoterpa Lallemand 1936: 264 |
|
Carystoterpa fusiformis Hamilton & Morales [update: added 5.ii.2001] Carystoterpa fusiformis Hamilton and Morales 1992: 14 [update: image added 4.iv.2005] |
Norfolk Island |
Genus Clovia StålClovia Stål 1866a: 68 |
|
Clovia eximia Kirby Clovia eximia Kirby 1900: 137 Note: This species has not been included in the key to genera because its distribution clearly differentiates it from the true Australian fauna. [update: added 3.vi.2003] |
Christmas Island |
Genus Interocrea WalkerInterocrea Walker 1870: 328 |
|
Interocrea nigrofasciata (Kirkaldy) Eurycercopis nigrofasciata Kirkaldy 1906: 383 |
Qld |
Interocrea regalis (Lallemand) Clovia regalis Lallemand 1927:
103 |
Qld |
Genus Liorhina StålLiorhina Stål 1870: 722 |
|
Liorhina loxosema (Hacker) Clovia loxosema Hacker 1926:
243 Note: This species was incorrectly spelled as C. loxasema by most subsequent authors. [update: 25.v.2000] |
NSW, Qld |
Genus Philagra StålChalepus Walker 1851: 731, preoccupied by Chalepus Thunberg, 1805. |
|
Philagra concolor Hacker Philagra concolor Hacker 1926: 246 |
NSW, Qld |
Philagra fulvida Hacker Philagra fulvida 1926: 245 [update: image added 23.vi.2003] |
Qld |
Philagra parva (Donovan) Fulgora parva Donovan 1805:
Pl 1, Fig 2 |
NSW, Qld, Vic, NT SA, WA, Tas, ACT |
Philagra recurva Jacobi Philagra recurva Jacobi 1928: 47 Note: A male specimen of this species was collected near Wauchope on the North Coast of NSW in xii.1998 extending the known range into NSW. [update: 5.ix.2000] |
Qld, NSW [update: 5.ix.2000] |
ERRONEOUS RECORDS |
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Carystoterpa fingens (Walker) Ptyelus fingens Walker 1851: 718 Note: Lallemand (1912) recorded Carystoterpa fingens (Walker) (as Ptyelus fingens) from Australia but this record was not mentioned by later reviews of the Australia fauna (e.g. Evans 1966) and is regarded as being erroneous. The only record of this genus from Australia is the species listed above from Norfolk Island. [update: 7.v.2010] |
New Zealand, "Australia" |
Novaphrophara phalerata (Spinola) Plinthacrus phalerata Spinola 1850: 156 Note: This species was described from Cradle Valley, Tasmania by Lallemand (1940) as Novaphrophara tasmaniae but the specimen on which this description was based is almost certainly not from Tasmania. M.D. Webb (BMNH) reports that a second specimen, identified as this species by K.G.A. Hamilton, is from Madagascar. For this reason, this genus was omitted from the key to genera of Australian Aphrophorinae provided by Liang and Fletcher (2003) on which the key provided here is based. Hamilton (2012) synonymised the species with N. phalerata (Spinola) and restricted it to Madagascar. [update: 24.x.2012] |
"Tasmanie", Madagascar |
Ptyelus goudoti (Bennett) Aphrophora goudoti Bennet 1833: 12 Note: Amyot & Serville (1843: 566) recorded this species from "New Holland" and Madagascar and these records were listed by Walker (1851: 724) also as "New Holland". Kirkaldy (1906: 383) queried the veracity of the Australian record (as Cercopis mirabilis Blanchard) and it was omitted from the Australian fauna by Evans (1966). [update: added 7.v.2010] |
Madagascar, "New Holland" |