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Family Delphacidae Leach, 1815
Subfamily Asiracinae Motschulsky 1863: 108
Tribe Asiracini Motschulsky 1863: 108
Genera
Asiraca Latreille, 1796 [Type species Cicada clavicornis Fabricius, 1794; Palearctic, 7 named species, 1 definitely misplaced]
= Cercopis Latreille, 1796 (in part)
= Boresinia Kato, 1933 nomen nudum
= Manchookhonia Kato, 1933
Copicerus Swartz, 1802 [Type species Copicerus irroratus Swartz, 1802; 4 species widespread in New World]
= Jerala Walker, 1858: 85
= Holotus Guerin-Meneville, 1856: 180
Elaphodelphax Fennah, 1949 (Type species Elaphodelphax nigropicta Fennah, 1949; 2 species, Africa)
Fennasiraca Asche, 1985 (Type species Asiraca congoensis Fennah, 1958; monotypic, Africa)
Kiambrama Donaldson, 1988 (Type species Kiambrama hylonoma Donaldson, 1988; 2 species, northeastern Australia)
Notuchoides Donaldson, 1988 (Type species Notuchoides montanus Donaldson, 1988; monotypic, New Caledonia)
Distribution
Distribution of Asiracini from FLOW (as of 3 Feb 2020)
A synopsis of New World taxa
The Asiracinae can most easily be recognized by the spur (calcar) at the apex of the hind tibiae. In the Asiracinae it is rounded or quadrate in cross-section and lacks teeth on the posterior margin found in other subfamilies of Delphacidae.
A detailed look at the features of the Asiracinae is here.
The spur of Asiracinae look something like this (spine-like; quadrate or rounded in cross-section [not flattened]; without teeth):
(Calcar of Asiraca clavicornis).
A Copicerus from Nicaragua – Thanks to Stephen Cresswell for the photo.
New World species in the tribe Asiracini
(Click genus link for further information about that genus)
Asiraca germari is an unknown taxon to me; it is undoubtedly misplaced, but the location of the type material is unclear and may be lost.
Asiraca Latreille, 1796
Type species Cicada clavicornis Fabricius, 1794
= Manchookhonia Kato, 1933 (Type species Manchookhonia granulipennis Kato, 1933); Syn. by Asche 1985: 116.
= Boresinia Chou in Chou et al. 1983: 60, 66; replacement name for Manchookhonia Kato [in Lophopidae]; Syn. By Liang, 1998: 188.
Asiraca germari Metcalf, 1943 (incertae sedis) – Brazil
= Asiraca longicornis Germar 1830 (nec. Asiraca longicornis Latreille 1802).
= Araeopus longicornis (Germar 1830); Schaum, 1850: 69.
= Asiraca germari Metcalf, 1943; nom. nov. for unavailable Asiraca longicornis Germar 1830 (nec. Latreille 1802).
Copicerus Swartz, 1802
Type species Copicerus irroratus Swartz, 1802
= Jerala Walker, 1858: 85 (type species Jerala singula Walker, 1858: 85); syn. by Stål, 1862: 488.
= Holotus Guerin-Meneville, 1856: 180 (type species Holotus thoracicus Guerin-Meneville, 1856: 180); syn. by Stål, 1866: 175.
Copicerus insignicornis (Lethierry, 1890) – Venezuela
Copicerus irroratus Swartz, 1802 – USA: FL, GA, IL, MS, MO, OH, TX; Belize, Costa Rica, Cuba; Ecuador, Guatemala, Hispaniola, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Puerto Rico, Venezuela
Copicerus irroratus thoracicus (Guerin-Meneville, 1856) – Cuba, Jamaica
Copicerus obscurus (Guerin-Meneville,1856) – Brazil
Copicerus swartzi Stål, 1857 – Brazil
Other Asiracini
In addition to the two genera listed above, there are two additional genera in this tribe that are not found in the New World:
Elaphodelphax Fennah, 1949: 592.
Elaphodelphax capenerinus Dlabola, 1965: 475- South Africa (as Transvaal): Rustenburg
Elaphodelphax nigropictus Fennah, 1949: 593 – Zambia (as N. Rhodesia): Copperbelt Province, N’dola.
Fennasiraca Asche, 1985.
Fennasiraca congoensis (Fennah, 1958: 49) – Congo (Katanga)
Selected references
Asche, M. 1985. Zur Phylogenie der Delphacidae Leach, 1815 (Homoptera: Cicadina: Fulgoromorpha). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 2(1), volume 1 pp. 1-398, volume 2 pp. 399-910.
Asche, M. 1988. Delphacidae from Cote d’Ivoire (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Revue Francaise d’Entomologie (Nouvelle Serie) 10(2): 151-231.
Asche, M. 1990. Vizcayinae, a new subfamily of Delphacidae with revision of Vizcaya Muir (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) – a significant phylogenetic link. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 30: 154-187.
Barringer, L. E. and C. R. Bartlett. 2011. A review of New World Asiracinae (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Delphacidae) with five new taxa. Cicadina 12: 7-39.
Chou, I., H.-f. Chao and S.-n. Chiang. 1983. Modification of insect scientific names connected with ‘Manchukuo’. Entomotaxonomia 5(1): 60, 66.
Dlabola, J. 1965. A new Elaphodelphax, further species of Asiracinae from Africa (Homoptera Auchenorrhyncha). Acta Faunistica Entomologica Musei Nationalis Pragae 36: 475-488.
Emeljanov, A. F. 1996. On the question of the classification and phylogeny of the Delphacidae (Homoptera, Cicadina), with reference to larval characters. Entomological Review 75(9): 134-150 (translation of Entomologicheskoye Obozreniye 1995, 74: 780-794 from Russian).
Fennah, R. G. 1949. New exotic Fulgoroidea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 12(2): 585-606
Fennah, R. G. 1958 [dated 1957]. Fulgoroidea from the Belgian Congo (Hemiptera Homoptera). Annales Musée Royal Congo Belge Tervuren, Serie in 8 , Sciences Zoologiques 59(8): 1-206.
Fennah, R. G. 1979. Tribal classification of Asiracine Delphacidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Entomologist’s Record (I/V./79): 116.
Fieber, F. X. 1872a. Katalog der europäischen Cicadinen, nach Originalien mit Benützung der neuesten Literatur. Carl Gerold’s Sohn, Wein [Vienna, Austria]. Pp.: i-iv, 1-19.
Fowler, W. E. 1905a. Order Rhynchota. Suborder Hemiptera-Homoptera (Continued). Biologia Centrali-Americana; or contributions to the knowledge of the fauna and flora of Mexico and Central America 1: 125-139. [P. 130, Copicerus = Holotus]
Germar, E. F. 1830. Species Cicadarium enumeratae et sub genera distributae. Thon’s Entomologisches Archiv 2(2): 1-8 [i.e. 37-44], 45-57.
Guerin-Meneville, F. E. 1856a. Segunda seccion. Homopteros. In: de la Sagra, R. Historia fisica, politica y natural de la Isla de Cuba. Crustaceos, aragnides, e insectos. Paris, vol. 7. Pp.1-868.
Kato, M. 1933. Notes on Japanese Homoptera, with descriptions of one new genus and some new species. The Entomological World. Organ of the Insect Lover’s Association 1: 452-471.
Leach, W. E. 1815a. Entomology. The Edinburg encyclopedia; conducted by David Brewster 9: 57-172. (family Delphacidae here)
Lethierry, L. F. 1890. Voyage de M. E. Simon au Venezuela (decembre 1887-avril 1888), 9e. memoire Hemipteres Homopteres. Annales de la Societe Entomologique de France (6)10: 147-160. [Holotus with 2 species described; to Copicerus by Fowler 1905]
Liang, A. P. 1998. On the Eurasian planthopper genus Asiraca Latreille (Homoptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae). Reichenbachia 32: 187-196.
Metcalf, Z. P. 1943. General catalogue of the Hemiptera. Fasc. IV. Fulgoroidea, Part 3. Araeopidae (Delphacidae), Smith College, Northampton, Massachusetts. 552 pp. (Asiraca)
De Motschulsky, V. I. 1863. Essai d’un catalogue des insectes de l’ile de Ceylan. Bulletin de la Société Impériale des Naturalistes de Moscou 36: 1-153. (p. 108)
Stål, C. 1857a. Ny art af Copicerus (Swartz). Ofversigt af Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens Forhandlingar 14: 53.
Stål, C. 1857b. Description du genre Copicerus Swartz. Annales de la Société entomologique de France. (3) 5:337-339. Plate(s): 12.
Swartz, O. 1802a. Copicerus, et nytt slagte bland insecterne fran Westindien. Nya Handlingar. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps-Akademiens. 23:177-183.
Walker, F. 1858. Supplement. List of the specimens of Homopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum. Order of Trustees, London. Pp. 1-307, addenda pp. 308-369.
