Genus Batusa Melichar, 1901

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Family Acanaloniidae Amyot & Serville, 1843

Subfamily Acanaloniinae Amyot & Serville, 1843

Tribe Acanaloniini Amyot & Serville, 1843

Genus Batusa Melichar, 1901: 191.

Type species (in original combination): Acanonia producta Stal, 1864: 56.

Distribution: Caribbean and Central America to Brazil.

Recognized species

There are 4 species and 1 subspecies as follows (Genus is treated in the Metcalf catalog by Metcalf , 1954: 45):

1. Batusa agilis Melichar, 1901: 192  – Puerto Rico
= Batusa agilis Melichar, 1901: 192.
= Philatis agilis (Melichar), comb. by Melichar, 1923: 8 (Gen. Insect. 182: 8)
= Acanalonia agilis (Melichar), comb. by Caldwell and Martorell, 1951: 264 (Jour. Agr. Univ. Puerto Rico 34: 264)
= Batusa agilis Melichar, 1901: 192; combination restored by Metcalf 1954: 46.

Batusa agilis maraicanensis (Caldwell in Caldwell & Martorell, 1951: 265) – Puerto Rico
    = Acanalonia agilis maraicanensis Caldwell in Caldwell & Martorell, 1951: 265.
    = Batusa agilis maraicanensis (Caldwell in Caldwell & Martorell, 1951: 265); comb. by Metcalf 1954: 46.

2. Batusa conata Melichar 1901: 193  – Brazil (Bahia)
    = Batusa conata Melichar 1901: 193 (original combination)
    = Philatis conata (Melichar 1901: 193); comb. by Melichar, 1923: 9.
    = Batusa conata Melichar 1901; comb restored by Osborn 1935: 218; Metcalf 1954: 46.

3. Batusa pinniformis (Fowler, 1900) – Mexico (Tabasco)
= Acanalonia pinniformis Fowler, 1900: 48; Pl. 7, Figs. 4, 4a; also Melichar 1901: 192.
= Batusa pinniformis (Fowler, 1900); comb by Melichar, 1901: 192.
= Philatis pinniformis (Fowler, 1900); comb. by Melichar, 1923: 8 (Pl. 1, Fig. 14).
= Batusa pinniformis (Fowler, 1900); comb by Metcalf 1954: 47.

4. Batusa producta (Stal, 1864: 56) – Mexico (Jalisco)
= Acanonia producta Stal, 1864: 56.
= Acanalonia producta (Stal. 1864); comb. by Fowler 1900: 46.
= Batusa producta (Stal. 1864); comb. by Melichar 1901: 192.

Hosts:

Batusa agilis – Eugenia domingensis O. Berg  (as Eugenia aeruginea DC.; Myrtaceae)

Host data from Wilson et al. (1994); scientific names, authorship and common names from the USDA Plants database, except where absent, then try Tropicos or The Plant List).

Economic Importance: Limited.

Recognition:

Recognized compared to Acanalonia by the produced head

Features from Melichar’s 1901 key

Vertex strongly bent forward, 2 to 4 times as long as wide between the eyes. The edges
carinate; vertex sharply acute angled; vertex swollen above. Forewings with costal margin rounded. Pronotum without carinae.

Translation of genus description from Melichar 1901: 192:

This genus is particularly characterized in that the head is drawn into a long cone. The top of the head is clearly arched. The more or less elongated forehead is provided with a keel running through the entire frontal surface, which sometimes only appears as a smooth edge of the raised forehead. Pronotum narrow, usually with two dimples. Shields (“Schildchen”) arched, without longitudinal keels. Wing veined like Acanalonia. The shape of these is triangular or semicircular or oblong.

 Batusa agilis (Photos by Kimberley Shropshire, University of Delaware)

Websites: Batusa on
EOL
FLOW
Discover Life (N/A)
GBIF (N/A)
Bugguide (N/A)
American Insects (Link to Acanaloniidae, not clear that any are Batusa)
Gernot Kunz Kunzweb Gallery Costa Rica (Link is to Acanaloniid photos; not clear that any are Batusa)
3I Interactive Keys and Taxonomic Databases (Dmitry Dmitriev)

Molecular resources: This genus is uncommonly reported.  GenBank has undetermined Acanaloniidae, but nothing specific for the genus.  Barcode of Life has lots of “Acanalonia” but nothing reported as Batusa.

Selected references: (should include all the above references, links to BHL incomplete)

Amyot, C. J. B. and J. G. Serville. 1843. Deuxième partie. Homoptères. Homoptera Latr. Histoire Naturelle des insectes. Hemiptères 1843: 1-676.

Caldwell, J. S. and L. F. Martorell. 1951 [dated1950]. Review of the Auchenorynchous [sic] Homoptera of Puerto Rico. Part II. The Fulgoroidea except Kinnaridae. Journal of Agriculture of the University of Puerto Rico 34(2): 133-269.

Fowler, W. W. 1900e. Order Rhynchota. Suborder Hemiptera-Homoptera. (Continued). In Biologia Centrali-Americana. Porter, London. 1: 44-48.

Gnezdilov, V. M. 2012a. On the composition and distribution of the family Acanaloniidae Amyot et Serville (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Entomologicheskoe obozrenie 91(3): 157–161. [In Russian]

Gnezdilov, V. M. 2012b. On the taxonomy of some Fulgoroidea (Hemiptera).  Proceedings of the Zoological Institute RAS 316(3): 239–247.

Gnezdilov, V. M. 2012c. A new genus of the family Acanaloniidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) from the Caribbean Basin. Zoosystematica Rossica 21(2): 302-305.

Melichar, L. 1901a. Monographie der Acanaloniiden und Flatiden (Homoptera). Annalen des k.k Naturhistorischen Hofmuseums 16: 178-258

Melichar, L. 1923. Homoptera; fam. Acanaloniidae, Flatidae et Ricaniidae. Genera Insectorum. Bruxelles 182: 1-185.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1954. General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea, Part 14 Acanaloniidae. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Metcalf, Z. P. and S. C. Bruner. 1930. Cuban Fulgorina. 1. The families Tropiduchidae and Acanaloniidae. Psyche 37(4): 395-424.

Osborn, H. 1929b. Notes on Porto Rican Homoptera. The Journal of the Department of Agriculture Puerto Rico 13: 81-112.

Osborn, H. 1935a. Insects of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Homoptera (excepting the Sternorhynchi). Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands. 14: 111-260.

Spinola, M. 1839a. Essai sur les Fulgorelles, sous-tribu de la tribu des Cicadaires, ordre des Rhyngotes. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France 8: 133-337.

Spinola, M. 1839b. Essai sur les Fulgorelles, sous-tribu de la tribu des Cicadaires, ordre des Rhyngotes. (Suite). Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France 8 :339-454.

Stål, C. 1864. Hemiptera mexicana enumeravit speciesque novas descripsit. (Continuatio). Entomologische Zeitung. Herausgegeben von dem entomologischen Vereine zu Stettin 25: 49-86.

Wilson, S. W., C. Mitter, R. F. Denno and M. R. Wilson. 1994. Evolutionary patterns of host plant use by delphacid planthoppers and their relatives. Pp. 7-45 & appendix. In: R. F. Denno and T. J. Perfect, (eds.). Planthoppers: Their Ecology and Management. Chapman and Hall, New York.