Subfamily Deltocephalinae: Tribe Macrostelini
Balclutha rosea (Scott)
The macrostelines are small to minute leafhoppers that superficially resemble some of the microleafhoppers (Typhlocybinae). However, the macrostelines have a well developed appendix on the tegmen and this differentiates them from all typhlocybines found in Australia and New Zealand [update: 12.ii.2001].
These are some of the most common leafhoppers in open grassland. Most species are coloured green although some of the Balclutha species are pink or red. They all feed on grass and some are important vectors of diseases of grass crops. Nesoclutha phryne (=N. pallida), the Australian grass leafhopper, 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). Cicadulina bimaculata was described from lucerne by Evans (1940) but is probably a grass feeder as are its congeners. It is recorded as the vector of cereal chlorotic mottle rhabdovirus (Brunt et al. 1990) and the phytoplasma maize wallaby ear in Australia (Schindler 1942) and maize streak geminivirus overseas (Brunt et al. 1990). C. bipunctatus is the vector of a number of plant diseases, including cereal chlorotic mottle rhabdovirus in Australia (Greber 1977)
- Key to Australian genera of Macrostelini
- Species of Macrostelini
known to occur in Australia
- Link to keys for New Zealand Macrostelini
- Species of Macrostelini known to occur in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea
- Return to previous key page
Species of Macrostelini known to occur in Australia
Genus Balclutha Kirkaldy
Gnathodus Fieber 1866: 505, preoccupied by Gnathodus Pander 1856 (Polychaeta) |
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Balclutha aurantiigera (Kirkaldy) Nesosteles aurantiigera Kirkaldy 1907:
65 |
Qld |
Balclutha bacchusi Knight [update: 10.v.2000] Balclutha bacchusi Knight 1987: 1204 |
Murray Is. (Qld), [first Australian record] PNG |
Balclutha bifasciata (Merino) Agellus bifasciatus Merino 1936:
383 Known hosts: Cyperus (Cyperaceae) (Wilson, in Knight 1987) |
WA, PNG, Indonesia, Pacific islands |
Balclutha chloe (Kirkaldy) Nesosteles chloe Kirkaldy 1907:
66 |
Qld, NSW, Vic [NSW update: 6.xi.2001; Vic added 30.viii.2010] |
Balclutha frontalis (Ferrari) [update: 28.v.2009] Gnathodus roseus Scott 1876:
83, preoccupied by Typhlocyba rosea Provancher 1872, preocc. by Typhlocyba rosea Flor 1861, = Balclutha punctata (Fabricius), McKamey & Hicks 2007: 932 |
NSW, Qld, NT, WA, widespread in Pacific and eastern oriental regions [NT, WA update: 8.vii.2011] |
Balclutha incisa (Matsumura) Gnathodes incisus Matsumura 1902:
360 |
Qld, NSW, WA widespread [WA update, 12.ix.2003] |
Balclutha lucida (Butler) Jassus lucidus Butler 1877:
91 |
Qld, PNG, Vic, NZ, widespread [update: Vic added 30.viii.2010] |
Balclutha rieki Knight Balclutha rieki Knight 1987:
1195 Known hosts: Oryza sativa, grasses (Poaceae), sedges (Cyperaceae) (Knight 1987) |
Qld, New Caledonia, Loyalty Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand |
Balclutha rubrostriata (Melichar), The Red Streaked Leafhopper Gnathodus rubrostriatus Melichar 1903:
208 |
Qld, NSW, WA,
NT Christmas Island, widespread overseas [WA update 17.x.2001; Christmas I. update 7.v.2002; NT update 8.vii.2011] |
Balclutha saltuella (Kirschbaum) Jassus (Thamnotettix) saltuellus Kirschbaum 1868:
86 |
NSW, Vic, Qld, NT, WA, ACT widespread [Vic update: 30.viii.2010; ACT, Qld, NT, WA updates: 11.vii.2011] |
Balclutha viridinervis Matsumura Balclutha viridinervis Matsumura 1914:
166 |
NT, Qld, NSW, WA,
NZ (Kermadec Islands),
India, Thailand,
SE Asia, western Pacific [WA update: 12.ix.2003] |
Balclutha yanchepensis (Evans) Eusceloscopus yanchepensis Evans 1942a:
147 |
WA, Qld, Tas, NSW, Vic [NSW, Vic update: 11.vii.2011] |
| Species of Balclutha of doubtul presence in Australia | |
Balclutha punctata (Fabricius) Cicada punctata Fabricius 1775:
687 Known hosts:, Hordeum, Oryza sativa, Phalaris arundinacea, Poa compressa, Triticum aestivum (Poaceae), Prunus avium (Rosaceae)(see Knight 1987 for references) Notes: Metcalf (1968a) provides 189 locality records for this species with locality 20 being "Australia" and 81 being "Australian region". The only reference bearing a superscript 20 is Esaki & Ito (1954: 180) which lists Australia as one of a number of regions in the distribution of the species without providing any specimen data to support this. Knight (1987) also includes Australia in his distribution list for the species without any specimen data. Oshanin (1906) lists a number of countries in the Palaearctic region and includes the statement "Regiones nearctica (from Canada to Texas), orientalis (Ceylon) et australica (Nova Guinea)." It is probably that this was misinterpreted by Esaki & Ito (1954) as meaning Australia itself and their record perpetuated by Metcalf (1968a) and Knight (1987) without supporting evidence. In addition, images of the species available via the internet show a species with distinct dark spots on the tegmina, reflected in the species name, and no Australia specimen has been seen with such spots. [update: |
Australia?, PNG, Europe, N. America, Africa, Oriental region |
Genus Cicadulina ChinaCicadulina China 1926b: 423 |
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Cicadulina bimaculata (Evans), the maize leafhopper Cicadula bimaculata Evans 1940:
11 |
NSW, Qld, ACT [ACT update: 12.vii.2011] |
Cicadulina bipunctata (Melichar) Gnathodus bipunctatus Melichar 1904:
47 Notes: The vector of a number of plant diseases, including leaf gall of rice and maize (Grylls 1979). This species has frequently been mentioned in the literature as Cicadulina bipunctella (Matsumura). |
NT, WA, PNG, widespread in warmer parts of Old World |
Biosecurity Threat not present in Australia. |
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Genus Nesoclutha EvansNesoclutha Evans 1947b: 126 Note: Vilbaste (1976: 28) suggested that Irinula Ribaut was a synonym of this genus. This was done on the basis of illustrations of the relatively simple genitalia published by Ribaut (1952) of irinula erythrocephala (Ferrari) and Evans (1947b) of Nesoclutha obscura Evans. Since such a nomenclatural act would combine a Palaearctic genus with an Australian genus on the basis of simple line drawings, it is considered highly questionable and further examination of the relationships between these two generic names needs to be undertaken to validate or reject Vilbaste's (1976) suggestion. [update: 12.vii.2011] |
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Nesoclutha phryne (Kirkaldy), the Australian grass leafhopper Nesosteles phryne Kirkaldy 1907:
66 Notes: This species is well known as Nesoclutha pallida but Kirkaldy's name has priority. N. phryne 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). 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. phryne is pale brown. |
NSW, Lord Howe I., Qld, WA, Vic, Tas, Norfolk I., NZ, New Caledonia, China |