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Insect keys » Membracoidea

Subfamily Iassinae - "Jassids"
Tribe Batracomorphini

Press for species list Batracomorphus angustatus (Osborn)
The green jassid

The Batracomorphini was created by Krishnankutty et al. (2016) to include the widespread oriental and Australian genus Batracomorphus which has 19 species in Australia and two widespread species in New Zealand [update: 25.x.2016]. In addition, there are 9 species names recorded from Australia that are unrecognisable and were regarded by Knight (1983a) as nomina dubia.

The Australian Batracomorphini are generally medium-sized leafhoppers of stout build and with the crown very short and usually forming a continuous curve with the face. The colour ranges from green to pale brown, with some species having dark brown spots scattered over the body and wings. Some species are very common locally and the widespread green jassid, B. angustatus (formerly known as Eurinoscopus punctatus), is a known vector of the phytoplasma diseases tomato big bud and potato purple top wilt (Grylls 1979).

  • Species of Batracomorphini known to occur in Australia  
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  • Species of Iassinae known to occur in eastern Indonesia and New Guinea
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Species of Batracomorphini known to occur in Australia  

Genus Batracomorphus Lewis

Batracomorphus Lewis 1836: 51
Eurinoscopus Kirkaldy 1906: 346, syn. by Linnavuori 1960a: 238
Ossana Distant 1914a: 518, syn. by Linnavuori & Quartau 1975: 30
Batrachomorphus Linnavuori 1960a: 238, misspelling of Batracomorphus.
Acojassus Evans 1972b: 656, syn. by Knight 1983a: 31
Edijassus Evans 1972b: 656, syn. by Knight 1983a: 31

Note: Evans (1966) followed Linnavuori (1960a) who used Batrachomorphus instead of Batracomorphus. Knight (1983a) dated the original description as Lewis 1834 but the issue of the journal was published in 1836 [update 8.ix.2011].

Batracomorphus adventitiosus Evans

Batrachomorphus adventitiosus Evans 1966: 207

Known hosts: Knight (1974) has given a list of host plants in the families Malvaceae, Myrtaceae, Rubiaceae, Juncaceae, Polygonaceae and Fagaceae.

[update: image added 9.ix.2011]

NSW, WA, NT, NZ, Vanuatu

Batracomorphus angustatus (Osborn), the green jassid

Bythoscopus angustatus Osborn 1934a: 166
Eurinoscopus punctatus Evans 1940: 10
Batrachomorphus punctatus (Evans), Evans 1966: 206
Batracomorphus angustatus (Osborn), Knight 1983a: 51

Known hosts: Medicago sativae (Fabaceae) (Evans 1940), Cassinia, Erigeron (Asteraceae) (Knight 1974)
Qld, NSW, Vic, 
SA, WA, NZ,
SE Asia, Fiji,
Norfolk I., Timor, Tonga, Niue I.

Batracomorphus atreus Knight

Batracomorphus atreus Knight 1983a: 76

Qld

Batracomorphus atrifrons (Metcalf)

Bythoscopus atrifrons Metcalf 1946: 136
Batracomorphus atrifrons (Metcalf), Knight 1983a: 51

Note: The Australian record of this species is based on a single male from Kilpatrick Creek, North Queensland in ASCU.

[update: added 9.ix.2011]

Qld, Guam, Saipan

Batracomorphus brooksi Evans

Batrachomorphus brooksi Evans 1972b: 654

[update: image added 9.ix.2011]

Qld

Batracomorphus citrinus (Evans)

Eurinoscopus citrinus Evans 1936: 76
Batracomorphus citrinus (Evans), Knight 1983a: 205, nomen dubium

Known hosts: Casuarina (Casuarinaceae) (Knight 1983a)

ACT

Batracomorphus dryas (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus dryas Kirkaldy 1906: 348
Batrachomorphus dryas (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 205

NSW, Qld,
New Caledonia

Batracomorphus elegans (Evans)

Eurinoscopus elegans Evans 1936: 76
Batrachomorphus elegans (Evans), Evans 1966: 205

[update: image added 9.ix.2011]

Vic, Tas

Batracomorphus gressitti Knight

Batracomorphus gressitti Knight 1983a: 68

Qld

Batracomorphus hecate Knight

Batracomorphus hecate Knight 1983a: 65

NSW

Batracomorphus icarus Knight

Batracomorphus icarus Knight 1983a: 85

Qld

Batracomorphus latona Knight

Batracomorphus latona Knight 1983a: 66

Qld

Batracomorphus lentiginosus (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus lentiginosus Kirkaldy 1906: 347
Batrachomorphus lentiginosus (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 206
Batrachomorphus fasciatus Evans 1972b: 655, synonymised by Knight 1983a: 193

[update: image added 13.ix.2011]

Qld, PNG

Batracomorphus molestia (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus molestia Kirkaldy 1906: 348
Batrachomorphus molestia (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 206
Batracomorphus molestia (Kirkaldy), Knight 1983a: 205, nomen dubium 

Qld

Batracomorphus nervoviridis Evans

Batrachomorphus nervoviridis Evans 1972b: 651

Note: Knight and Webb (1986: 1081) state that a female specimen from Queensland may belong to this New Guinean species.

Qld?, PNG

Batracomorphus orestes Knight

Batracomorphus orestes Knight 1983a: 152

Qld, Irian Jaya,
Philippines,
Pacific islands

Batracomorphus palicus Knight

Batracomorphus palicus Knight 1983a: 65

Qld, NT

Batracomorphus pallidus (Evans)

Eurinoscopus pallidus Evans 1936: 75
Batrachomorphus pallidus (Evans), Evans 1966: 205
Batracomorphus pallidus (Evans), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

Tas

Batracomorphus pelamys (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus pelamys Kirkaldy 1906: 349
Batrachomorphus pelamys (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 205
Batracomorphus pelamys (Kirkaldy), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

NSW

Batracomorphus pelias (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus pelias Kirkaldy 1906: 348
Batrachomorphus pelias (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 206
Batracomorphus pelias (Kirkaldy), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

Note: Knight (1983a) regarded this species as a nomen dubium since it was based on a female holotype but Kirkaldy (1906) did not designate a holotype. The female specimen bearing a "holotype" label is not the primary type since it has not been validated by publication (see Medler 1987). Since Kirkaldy (1906) indicated that the syntype series included both sexes, there is at least one male available for designation as lectotype. [update: 13.ix.2011]

NSW

Batracomorphus punctatus (Kirby) [update: added 3.vi.2003]

Idiocerus punctatus Kirby 1900: 138
Batracomorphus punctatus (Kirby), Knight 1983a: 127

Christmas Island

Batracomorphus samii Evans

Batracomorphus samii Evans 1972b: 655

[update: image added 13.ix.2011]

Qld

Batracomorphus sarpedon Knight

Batracomorphus sarpedon Knight 1983a: 62

Known hosts: Acacia (Mimosaceae), Hakea (Proteaceae), Pultenaea (Fabaceae) (Knight 1983a)

NSW

Batracomorphus soboles (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus soboles Kirkaldy 1906: 348
Batrachomorphus soboles (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 206
Batracomorphus soboles (Kirkaldy), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

Qld

Batracomorphus sontiates (Kirkaldy)

Eurinoscopus sontiates Kirkaldy 1906: 347
Batrachomorphus sontiates (Kirkaldy), Evans 1966: 206
Batracomorphus pallas Knight 1983a: 174, synonymised by Day and Fletcher 1994: 1189

Note: The species was illustrated by Knight (1983a: 174) as B. pallas Knight.
Qld

Batracomorphus torquatus Knight

Batracomorphus torquatus Knight 1983a: 75

Qld

Batracomorphus translucidus (Evans)

Eurinoscopus transulcidus [sic] Evans 1942a: 145
Batrachomorphus translucidus (Evans), Evans 1966: 207
Batracomorphus translucidus (Evans), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

WA

Batracomorphus tyndareus Knight

Batracomorphus tyndareus Knight 1983a: 130

Qld

Batracomorphus viridipes (Distant)

Bythoscopus viridipes Distant 1908a: 99
Batrachomorphus viridipes (Distant), Evans 1966: 207
nomen dubium, (Knight 1983a: 206)

Qld

Batracomorphus viridis (Evans)

Eurinoscopus viridis Evans 1936: 75
Batrachomorphus viridis (Evans), Evans 1966: 207
Batracomorphus viridis (Evans), Knight 1983a: 206, nomen dubium

Note: Knight (1983a) regarded this species as a nomen dubium since the type was not found in AM. However, two male specimens are in JWE and match the type data precisely. It is possible that one of these is the missing type although it is more likely that these were duplicate specimens retained by Evans as he has done this with other species described by him.

[update: note and image added 14.ix.2011]

SA, ACT?

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