Genus Oliarus Stål
Oliarus lawlerorum Löcker
Genus Oliarus
Stål 1862b: 306
Type
species: Oliarus walkeri Stål 1859
Australian species: Eleven species are recognised in Australia (including O. trispiralis Löcker on Christmas Island)
Distribution: Australia (Queensland, Northern Territory, Western Australia), Christmas Island, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea.
Notes: Species of Oliarus are some of the best known and most common Australian cixiid planthoppers. They can be distinguished from other Australian Pentastirini by the presence of two rather than three hind tibial spines (Löcker et al. 2006a).
Emeljanov (2001) redefined this genus limiting it to 46 species from the Oriental and Australian regions. Hoch (2005) clarified the identity of O. walkeri and demonstrated that it was different from most of the species that Emeljanov had included in the genus. Löcker et al. (2006a) recognised 11 Australian species in the genus, in the sense that Emeljanov recognised it. In addition, six names were available and regarded as nomina dubia, mainly because they were based only on female type material. Löcker et al. (loc cit) acknowledged that a comprehensive revision of the genus may reveal greater diversity at the generic level than has been recognised so far.