Nesoclutha phryne (Kirkaldy)

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.

Nesoclutha phryne (Kirkaldy 1907)
(= Nesoclutha pallida Evans)

Common Name: Australian Grass Leafhopper

Subfamily/Tribe: Deltocephalinae: Macrostelini

Distribution: NSW (incl. Lord Howe Island), Qld, Vic, Tas, Norfolk Island, WA, NZ, Indonesia (Java), New Caledonia

Economic Status: N. pallida is apparently restricted entirely to grasses. In Australia, it is the vector of cereal chlorotic mottle rhabdovirus (Greber 1977), chloris striate mosaic geminivirus, paspalum striate mosaic geminivirus and the causative agent of maize wallaby ear (Grylls 1963).

Notes: Despite its bland appearance, the species is readily recognised. There are only two Australian macrostelines with the vertex longer in the centre than against the eyes. Balclutha chloe is bright green and N. pallida is pale brown.