Classification of Achilixiidae

The Achilixiidae includes only two genera (Achilixius in the Old World tropics, Bebaiotes in the New World tropics) and 32 species. The family-level status of the group has been controversial. It was first proposed as a family by Muir (1923). Subsequently, Achilixiidae was subsumed under the Achilidae by Emeljanov (1991: 377), then under the Cixiidae by Liang (2001: 225). However, Urban & Cryan (2007) found them to be sister to Achilidae (which doesn’t settle the issue but suggests that Achilixiidae are not cixiids and that family-level treatment is warranted until there is further investigation).

The family has been reviewed by Fennah (1946) and Wilson (1989), and cataloged by Metcalf (1945). Eight new species from Brazil were described by Viegas & Ale-Rocha (2024). As noted by Metcalf (1945), most species of Achilixiidae are small or medium sized, superficially resembling certain Cixiidae (especially Bennarellini and Bennini) or Derbidae (some Cenchreini) that have steeply tectiform tegmina. Structurally they share characters with the Achilidae (to which they appear to be phylogenetically most closely related), but they are greatly compressed, not depressed as are the Achilidae. The tegmina of the Achilixiidae are steeply tectiform and fairly transparent. The head is compressed, greatly in Bebaiotes, the frons represented by the contiguous, elevated lateral carinae only. The antennae are simple, lateral ocelli distinct, pro- and mesonotum moderate-sized. Tegulae large, tegmina broad; venation suggestive of Cenchreini (Derbidae), the proximal segments of the abdomen with one or two pairs of lateral processes (Metcalf 1945).

The classification of the Achilixiidae follows Emeljanov (1991), except treated as a family instead of as 2 subfamilies of Achilidae.

Distribution

The reported distribution of Achilixius includes Indonesia (Sulawesi) Malaysia (Sabah) Philippines (Luzon, Mindanao). Bebaiotes is widespread in tropical south America and southern Central America.

Recondition

Muir (1923) diagnoses the family as having the vertex and frons, in profile, not divided; median and lateral carinae on the frons complete; wings steeply tectiform, and two lateral pairs of abdominal processes modified into large pits, between segments 3 and 5 (Muir 1923, Viegas & Ale-Rocha 2024).

Achilixiidae from Bolivia

Biology

There is little information on the biology of Achilixiidae.  Bebaiotes can be found understory and on the canopy of trees in all months of the year, and are collected with light traps, CDC-traps, Malaise traps, and sweeping (Viegas & Ale-Rocha 2024). All species are known only from tropical lowland and medium altitude rain forest where the adults probably feed on plant tissue. The nymphs may feed on roots or on rotten vegetation or fungus (Wilson 1989). Adults of Bebaiotes were found in the canopy fogging studies of Terry Erwin (see Barringer 2011).

The abdominal processes from the specimen from Bolivia above.

Family Achilixiidae Muir 1923

 Subfamily Achilixiinae Muir 1923 (sensu Emeljanov 1992)

Tribe Achilixiini Muir 1923

Achilixius Muir, 1923  (Type species Achilixius singularis Muir, 1923, 16 species, Indomalayan)

Subfamily Bebaiotinae Emeljanov, 1991

Tribe Bebaiotini Emeljanov, 1991

Bebaiotes Muir, 1924 (Type species Bebaiotes bucayensis Muir, 1924 , 17 species Neotropical) (= Muirilixius Metcalf, 1938, type species Muirilixius banksi Metcalf, 1938)

Bebaiotes amazonica Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima
Bebaiotes banksi (Metcalf, 1938) – Brazil–Amazonas and Pará; Panamá
Bebaiotes bia Viegas & Ale-Rocha Brazil: Acre
Bebaiotes bucayensis Muir, 1924 – Ecuador
Bebaiotes dichromata Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas
Bebaiotes dorsivittata Fennah, 1947 – Brazil: Amapá, Amazonas, Pará, Rondônia and Roraima; Ecuador; Peru
Bebaiotes guianesus (Fennah, 1947) – Brazil–Amazonas; Guiana
Bebaiotes macroptera Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas and Amapá
Bebaiotes nigrigaster Muir, 1924 – Ecuador
Bebaiotes nivosa Fennah, 1947 – Guyana
Bebaiotes pallidinervis Muir, 1934 – Ecuador
Bebaiotes parallela Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas
Bebaiotes pennyi Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas and Maranhão
Bebaiotes pulla Muir, 1934 – Brazil–Acre and Amazonas; Ecuador
Bebaiotes tigrina Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas
Bebaiotes wilsoni Viegas & Ale-Rocha – Brazil: Amazonas

References for Achilixiidae

Barringer, L.E. 2011. Canopy assemblages and species richness of planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) in the Ecuadorian Amazon. Master Thesis, University of Delaware, Newark.

Emeljanov, A.F. 1991. To the problem of the limits and subdivisions of the family Achilidae (Homoptera, Cicadina). Entomologicheskoe Obozrenie 70(2): 373-393. (In Russian, translated Entomological Review 1992 71(1): 53–73).

Fennah, R.G. 1946. A synopsis of the Achilixiidae of the New World (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 11 13: 183–191.

Liang, A.P. 1999. Do Achilixiidae belong to the Cixiidae? – evidence from antennal sensilla (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoroidea). In: Abstracts of Talks and Posters of the 10th International Auchenorrhyncha Meeting, Cardiff, Wales, 6-10 September, 1999. Unpaginated.

Liang, A.P. 2001. Morphology of antennal sensillae in Achilixius sandakanensis Muir (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Achilixiidae) with comments on the phylogenetic position of the Achilixiidae. The Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 49(2): 221–225.

Metcalf, Z.P. 1938. The Fulgorina of Barro Colorado and other parts of Panama. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard College 82: 277–423.

Metcalf, Z.P. 1945. General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea. Part 5 Achilixiidae. Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts. Pp. 213–217.

Muir, F.A.G. 1923. Achilixius, a new genus, constituting a new family of the Fulgoroidea (Homoptera). Philippine Journal of Science 22: 483–487.

Muir, F.A.G. 1924. A new genus of the family Achilixiidae (Homoptera). The Canadian Entomologist 56: 33–34.

Urban, J.M. & J.R. Cryan. 2007. Evolution of the planthoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 42: 556–572.

VIEGAS, E.F.G. & R. ALE-ROCHA. 2024. A century of Achilixiidae Muir, 1923 (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoromorpha): taxonomic study of the genus Bebaiotes Muir, 1924 and description of eight new species from Brazil. Zootaxa 5413(1): 1–65. Https://doi.org/10.1080/21686351.1990.12277614.

Wilson, M.R. 1989. The planthopper family Achilixiidae (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea): a synopsis with a revision of the genus Achilixius. Systematic Entomology 14(4): 487–506.