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Family Delphacidae Leach, 1815

Subfamily Delphacinae Leach, 1815

Tribe Delphacini Leach, 1815

Genus Macrotomella Van Duzee, 1907

Type species: Macrotomella carinata Van Duzee, 1907: 44.

Distribution

Southeastern United States, Greater Antilles, Central America.

Recognized species

There is a single species in this genus:

Macrotomella carinata Van Duzee, 1907 –

USA: FL, IL, MO, NJ; Bahamas (Great Inagua, New Providence), Belize, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico (Jalisco) (This is a southern species – northern records [NJ, IL, MO] may be in error or vagrants)

Plant associations

None recorded (none in Wilson et al. 1994)

In Florida, it is possible that the species has been found associated with Kyllinga brevifolia, shortleaf spikesedge.  This was observed by Florida inspector Alec Tasi (reported in Halbert 2019). It is doubtful that the northern records represent persistent populations, but possibly populations moved on nursery stock or from similar situations.

Economic importance

Limited.  A single uncommon species in southeastern USA, Caribbean and Central America. there has been unconfirmed report of this species being transported on horticulture stock.

Recognition

The bicarinate frons is highly distinctive; also note the slightly pointed head.  Long-winged forms are known, but less common than brachypters. The only similar taxa (i.e., those with a bicarinate or broadly U-shaped frontal carina) are Neotropical species currently (and incorrectly) in the genus Dicranotropis and some Criomorphus.

Images by by Kimberley Shropshire, University of Delaware.

Online Resources
Macrotomella at EOL
Discover Life
This genus currently not on Bugguide

3i (Dmitry Dmitriev)

FLOW

Molecular resources

At this time (Jan 2017 3 Dec. 2019), neither Genbank or Bold have any molecular resources for this genus.

Selected References

Barringer, L. E. and C. R. Bartlett. 2018. Pennsylvania planthoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Fulgoroidea): relative abundance and incidental catch using novel trapping methods. Insecta Mundi 0661: 1–31. [Macrotomella noted]

Bartlett, C. R., L. B. O’Brien and S. W. Wilson. 2014. A review of the planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) of the United States. Memoirs of the American Entomological Society 50: 1-287.

Halbert, S. E. 2019. Entomology. Tri-Ology 58(1): 8-12.

Kennedy, A. C., C. R. Bartlett and S. W. Wilson. 2012. An annotated checklist of the delphacid planthoppers (Hemiptera: Delphacidae) of Florida with the description of three new species and the new genus, Meristopsis. Florida Entomologist 95(2): 395-421. https://doi.org/10.1653/024.095.0223 

Leach, W. E. 1815. Entomology. The Edinburgh Encyclopedia 9: 57-172 [p. 125].

Muir, F.A.G. 1915b-e. A contribution towards the taxonomy of the Delphacidae. Canadian Entomologist 47: 208-212, 261-270, 296-302, 317-320. [e.g., p. 212]

Metcalf, Z. P. 1923. A key to the Fulgoridae of Eastern North America with descriptions of new species. Journal of the Elisha Mitchell Scientific Society 38: 139-230.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1943. General Catalogue of the Hemiptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea, Part 3, Araeopidae (Delphacidae). Smith College, Northhampton, Massachusetts. 552 pp. (see p. 337)

Van Duzee, E. P. 1907a. Notes on Jamaican Hemiptera: A report on a collection of Hemiptera made on the island of Jamaica in the spring of 1906. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 8(5): 3-79.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1909c. Synonymical notes on North American Homoptera. Canadian Entomologist 41(11): 380-384.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1914b. Mr. Crawford’s recent work on the Delphacinae. Psyche 21(5): 163-166.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1916a. Check list of Hemiptera (excepting the Aphididae, Aleurodidae and Coccidae) of America North of Mexico. New York Entomological Society, New York. 111 pp. [e.g., p. 83 and 102]

Van Duzee, E. P. 1917b. Catalogue of the Hemiptera of America north of Mexico excepting the Aphididae, Coccidae and Aleurodidae. Technical Bulletin. University of California, College of Agriculture, Agricultural Experiment Station. Entomology. 2: i-xiv, 1-902. [p. 766]

Wilson, S. W. and J. E. McPherson. 1980. Keys to the planthoppers, or Fulgoroidea of Illinois (Homoptera). Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 73(2): 1-61.

Wilson, S. W. and J. E. McPherson. 1980. The distribution of the Fulgoroidea of the Eastern United States (Homoptera). Transactions of the Illinois State Academy of Science 73(4): 7-20.

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. In: R. F. Denno and T. J. Perfect (eds.). Planthoppers: Their Ecology and Management. Chapman and Hall, New York. Pp. 7-45 & Appendix [host information in the appendix].