Biosecurity threat, not present in Australia
Muellerianella fairmairei (Perris)
Caution
Many of the insects depicted on these pages are outwardly similar and you should not use photographs as the sole means of identification. These pages form part of a scientific key which will assist a trained entomologist to identify the species accurately.
Common Name: none known
Subfamily/Tribe: Delphacinae: Delphacini
Distribution: Muellerianella fairmairei is found throughout Europe, including Russia and Poland, and some countries in northern Asia (China, Japan) (Bourgoin 2018). It is not present in Australia.
Economic Status: Muellerianella fairmairei feeds on different species of grasses (Poaceae), with oats and wheat being hosts of economic importance in Australia (Wilson & O’Brien 1987). It is a vector of Northern cereal mosaic virus, which is not currently present in Australia (Toriyama 1986).
Notes: Individuals of Muellerianella fairmairei can be brachypterous (reduced wings) or macropterous (fully winged). The genus is not represented in Australia. There are another six species within the genus which may be confused with M. fairmairei (listed by Bartlett 2018) but are not accounted for in these keys as they do not feed on commercial crops. In addition, there are several native planthoppers within Australia with which M. fairmairei could be easily confused, for example, species of Sogatella. Within the Delphacidae, many genera and species are typically determined by characteristics of the male genitalia. Therefore, if you suspect that you have a specimen of Muellerianella fairmairei, please verify it with a trained taxonomist.
Muellerianella fairmairei [image: C.R. Bartlett, used with permission]