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Insect keys » Membracoidea

Subfamily Typhlocybinae: Tribe Typhlocybini

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Edwardsiana froggatti (Baker),
The Apple Leafhopper

The Australian and New Zealand representatives of this tribe are introductions, mainly from Europe or North America (Fletcher, et al. 1996). The European elm leafhopper (Ribautiana ulmi) is widespread in the cooler parts of Australia and causes extensive chlorotic mottling on its hosts which reduces the value of elm trees as ornamentals (Fletcher and Williams 1987). The Australian apple leafhopper, Edwardsiana froggatti, is a pest of the pome fruit industry, causing chlorotic mottling and leaf drop in apple and pear orchards. E. froggatti, which is also found in New Zealand  [update: 12.ii.2001], is known as the canary fly in Tasmania because of its bright yellow colouring. Traditional use of broad-spectrum insecticides for codling moth control has kept apple leafhopper in check as well, but the reduction in use of such environmentally harmful insecticides in favour of more targetted IPM for control of major pests is leading to a resurgence of problems with secondary pests such as apple leafhoppers.

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Species of Typhlocybini known to occur in Australia

Many undescribed species of Typhlocybinae are known to occur in Australia. ABRS funding has allowed taxonomic research on this subfamily to be undertaken and this list will therefore be updated as the descriptions of the new species are published.

Genus Edwardsiana Zachvatkin

Edwardsiana Zachvatkin 1929: 262

 

Edwardsiana froggatti (Baker), the apple leafhopper ("canary fly" in Tasmania)

Typhlocyba crataegi Dominique 1902: 211, preoccupied by Typhlocyba crataegi Douglas (1876)
Empoasca australis Froggatt 1918: 568
Typhlocyba australis (Froggatt), Myers 1921: 473, preoccupied by Typhlocyba australis Walsh (1862)
Typhlocyba froggatti Baker 1925: 537, nom. nov. for Typhlocyba australis (Froggatt)
Typhlocyba xanthippe McAtee 1926: 14, synonymised by Dumbleton 1934: 30
Empoa (Typhlocyba) malini DeLong 1926: 469, synonymised by McAtee 1927: 237
Typhlocyba oxyacanthae Ribaut 1931: 334, synonymised by Dumbleton 1934: 30
Edwardsiana froggatti (Baker), China 1950: 248 

Known hosts: Malus (Rosaceae) (Froggatt 1918) 

Note: Nast (1972) proposed that this species was a synonym of E. crataegi (Douglas). This synonymy appears to have been based on a publication by Günthart (1971) who showed that the two forms were capable of interbreeding in the laboratory. However, while males of E. froggatti were able to couple with females of E. crataegi, the longer apical aedeagal appendages of E. crataegi meant that the reverse combination was impossible. It is probable that the interbreeding that was observed was a laboratory artefact and that such behaviour may not occur naturally. The synonymy was not accepted by Knight (1976), Wise (1977) nor Day & Fletcher (1994).
The record from Western Australia is derived from Jenkins et al. (1950) who recorded the species from "throughout the apple growing areas of the lower South-West". No more recent records seem to be in existence so the continuing presence of the species in WA is still to be confirmed. [update: 11.xi.2003]

NSW, Tas, WA, NZ, 
Europe, N. America
[update: WA added 11.xi.2003]

Genus Ribautiana Zachvatkin

Ribautiana Zachvatkin 1947: 113

 

Ribautiana ulmi (Linnaeus), the European elm leafhopper

Cicada ulmi Linnaeus 1758: 439 
Cicada musciformis De Geer 1773: 189, synonymised by De Geer 1773: 189 
Eupteryx ocellata Curtis 1829: 192, nomen nudum, synonymised by Walker 1851: 895 
Leptochloris Amyot 1847: 232, invalid monomial, synonymised by Walker 1851: 895 
Ribautiana ulmi (Linnaeus), Zachvatkin 1947: 113 

Known hosts: Ulmus (Ulmaceae), Alnus (Betulaceae), Tilia (Tiliaceae), Quercus (Fagaceae), Buxus (Buxaceae), bramble (Rosaceae) (Ribaut 1936)
Notes: This species was first reported in Australia by Fletcher & Williams (1987).

NSW, Vic, ACT, 
Tas, Europe, 
North America


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