Australian Biological Resources Study

Australian Faunal Directory

Species Amarusa australis (Jacobi, 1921)

<I>Amarusa australis</I> (Jacobi), habitus

Amarusa australis (Jacobi), habitus

© Copyright Murray Fletcher. NSW Dept Primary Industries.

<I>Amarusa australis</I> adults can sometimes occur in concentrated numbers generating large quantities of spittle. This can cause moisture to drip from trees like rain.

Amarusa australis adults can sometimes occur in concentrated numbers generating large quantities of spittle. This can cause moisture to drip from trees like rain.

© Copyright Gordon Grigg, Brisbane

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Species Amarusa australis (Jacobi, 1921)


Compiler and date details

24 March 2010 - Murray J. Fletcher

  • Eoptyelus australis Jacobi, A. 1921. Kritische Bermerkungen über die Cercopidae. (Rhynchota Homoptera). Archiv für Naturgeschichte 87: 1-65 [9].
    Type data:
     Holotype MTKD ♀, New South Wales.
  • Ptyelus homochrous Hacker, H. 1926. New species of Queensland Cercopidae (Homoptera). Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 8(3): 243-248 [244] [junior subjective synonym of Eoptyelus australis Jacobi, 1921].
    Type data:
     Lectotype QM ♂ (coll.: H. Hacker), Tooloom, NSW.
    Paralectotype(s) QM ♂ (5.xi.1918), Brisbane, Queensland; QM ♀ (25.iii.1925, on Acacia), Brisbane, Queensland.

 

Introduction

This is the largest spittlebug in Australia and the only representative of the genus. It sometimes occurs in very large numbers creating "rain" under the trees on which it is feeding.

 

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

  • Evans, J.W. 1966. The leafhoppers and froghoppers of Australia and New Zealand. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 12: 1-347 [319] (synonymy of P. homochrous)

 

Generic Combinations

  • Amarusa australis (Jacobi, 1921). — Liang, A.-P. & Fletcher, M.J. 2003. A review of the Australian aphrophorid spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae). Australian Journal of Entomology 42(1): 84-93.

 

Distribution

IBRA and IMCRA regions (map not available)
drainage basins and coastal and oceanic zones (map not available)

IBRA

NSW, Qld: NSW North Coast (NNC), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Australian Region

  • Australia
    • New South Wales
    • Queensland

Ecological Descriptors

All stages: xylem feeder.

 

Diagnosis

"Hell lederbraun, mit sehr kurz anliegenden Härchen bedeckt. Ein Saum unter dem Vorderrand des Kopfes und der Innenrand der Deckfl. bis zur Schildchenspitze schwarzbraun. Fl. fast durchsichtig, nach hinten etwas bräunlich getrübt. 3. Tarsenglied schwarz. Scheitel reichlich halb so lang wie breit, deshalb etwas spitzer parabolisch als bei der vorigen Art [Eoptyelus sordidus]' die Stirnbasis tritt nicht unbeträchtlich über den Scheitelrand vor; zwischen den Nebenaugen ein grubenartiger Eindruck. Pron. ohne Kiel. Long, cum tegm. 16 mm." (Jacobi 1921, as Eoptyelus australis)

Length, male & female, 12-17 mm. Overall coloration brown with a yellowish pubescence. (Evans 1966, as Eoptyelus australis)

 

Diagnosis References

Evans, J.W. 1966. The leafhoppers and froghoppers of Australia and New Zealand. Memoirs of the Australian Museum 12: 1-347 [319]

Jacobi, A. 1921. Kritische Bermerkungen über die Cercopidae. (Rhynchota Homoptera). Archiv für Naturgeschichte 87: 1-65 [9]