The distribution of Arizona leafhoppers and their host plants Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Flock, Robert A., 1914- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 01/10/2021 00:21:57 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/552049 THE DISTRIBUTION .OF ARIZONA LEAFH0PP2R3 AND THEIR HOST PLANTS by Robert Ashby Flock A Thesis submitted to the faculty of the Department of Entomology and Economic Zoology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in the Graduate College University of Arizona 1940 Approved: Major Professor c;i ; £ 9 y ? / A CKE' O’. .’LSDGE.ISNT I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. E. D Ball, Dr. 0. T. VorhjLGs, and Dr. L. P. V/ehrle, who have made it possible for me to work on this group of insects V CONTENTS Page Introduction 1 Distribution and Host Plants of Arizona Species Family ClCADELLIDAE 9 Subfamily PAROPINAE Koebelia o tD Subfamily AGALLINAE 10 Agalliopsis 10 Agallla 12 Certagallia 13 Aceratagallia 15 Subfamily MACROPSIDAE 18 Bythosoopus 18 Macropsis 18 Subfamily IDIOCERINAE 19 Idiocerus 19 Subfamily CICADELLININAE 23 Oncometopia 23 Homalodisca 24 Neokolla 24 Ciboyia 25 Cicadella 25 Siminius 25 Helochara 26 Graphocephala 26 Draeculacephala 26 Cameocephala 27 Subfamily GYPONINAE Dragonana 27 Gyponana 27 Gypona 29 Prairiana 29 Ponana 30 Xerophloea 32 Subfamily JASSINAE 32 Memnonia 32 Xestocephalus 33 Nionia 33 Dorycephalus 34 -i- Heoalus 34 Spangbergiella 34 Parabolocratus 35 Dicyphonia 36 Aligia 36 Mesaaia 37 Bandara 38 Twinlngia 38 Soaphoideus..... 39 Osbornellus - 39 Prescottla 40 Soaphytbpeus 41 Flexamia 44 Latulus . 46 Pains 46 Polynamia 46 Hebecephalus 47 Laevacephalus 48 Ampllcephalus 49 Deltocephalus - 49 Lonatura 50 Klnonla 50 Gillettielia 50 Athysanella 51 Drlotura 51 Uhoka 51 Athysanus 52 Bxitlanus 52 Limnlotettlz 52 Ophiola 53 Coramulus 53 Stlrelus 53 Penestirellus 54 Eutettix 54 Atanus 55 Opsins 55 Horvellina Ollarianus ■ : II Horvellina 57 Menosoma' 59 Phlepsins 59 Phlepsius 60 Texananus 61 Acinopterus 63 Idiodonns 65 Colladonus 66 Conodonus 67 Doleranus 67 Friscananus 68 Ballana 68 Gyperana 69 Elymana 70 Chlorotettix 70 — 11 Jassus 71 Neoeoelidia 71 Paracoelidia 73 Balclutha 74 Nesosteles 74 Baldulus 75 Macrosteles 75 Sonronlus 76 Subfamily TYPHLOCYBINAE 76 Protalebra 76 Dlkraneura 76 Alconeura 79 Empoasca 81 Idona 88 Typhlocyba 88 Eupteryz 89 Hymetta 89 Erythroneura 89 Family MEMBRA.CIDAE 94 Subfamily SMILIINAE 94 Ceresa 94 Stictocephala 96 Stictolobus 97 Micrutalis 98 Parantonae 98 Glossonotus 98 Hiliria 99 Palonica 99 Telamona 99 Tropldarnis 100 Antianthe 100 Telamonanthe 100 Cyrtolobus 100 Ophiderma 101 Vanduzea 101 Bajulata 102 Amastris 102 Polyglypta 103 Bryantla 103 Publilia 103 Entylia 104 Subfamily DARNINAE 104 Stlctopelta 104 Aconophora 105 Subfamily H0PL0PH0RINAE 105 Platycotis 105 ill- Subfamily MEMBRACINAE 105 Bnchenopa 105 Hypsoprora 106 Campyienehia 106 Tylopelta 106 Philya 107 Leiosc^.ta 107 . Subfamily OMTROTINAE 107 Miorooentrus 107 Platyoentrus 108 Tylooentrus 108 Tuberculooentrus 108 Centrodontus 108 Multareis 108 Subfamily AETHALIOHIHAE 109 Aethalion 109 Family CERCOPIDAE 110 Tomaapis 110 Aphrophora 110 Clastoptera 111 Philaronia 115 Family FULGORIDAE 117 Subfamily FULGORINAS 117 Soolopsella 117 Rhabdooephala 117 Amyole 117 Calyptoprootus 118 Cyrpoptus 118 Poblioia 119 Subfamily DICTYOFHORINAE 119 Seolops 119 Yucanaa 128 Or game ra 123 Deserta 123 Orgerius 183 Acinaca 124 Ticidia 124 Timonidia 125 Subfamily ACHILHAE 125 Elidiptera 125 Catonia 125 Subfamily CIXIIHAE 127 Oliarus 127 — iv— Oliaronus 130 Cixius 130 Oeolidlus 131 Plntalia 132 Mlcroledrida 132 Oecleus 133 Myndus 136 Subfamily L3SBJAE 138 Fitohlella 138 Bruohomorpha 139 Aphelonema 141 Papagona 142 Hysteropterum 143 Ulixes 144 Tylana 144 Thlonia 145 Picumna 145 Buthiscia 145 Naettteus 145 Misodeaa 146 Dietyssonla 146 Osbornia 146 / Subfamily ACAMLONIIHAE 147 Acanalonia 147 Subfamily FIATHAE 148 Ormenis 148 Misthamophantia 149 Flatoides 150 Subfamily DERBHAE 150 Cedusa 150 Cenchrea 150 Amalopota 151 Anotia 151 Otiooerus 152 Bothiooerus 152 Subfamily DELPHAOHJAE . 152 Copicerus 152 Sacoharodyne 152 Stenocranus 153 Bostaera 153 Stobaera 153 Liburnia • 153 Pissonotus 153 Factors Influencing the Distribution 154 Bibliography 159 THE DISTRIBUTION OF ARIZONA LEAFHOPPBRS . AND THEIR HOST PLANTS Introduction For the past twelve years the leafhopper collection and library o f Dr. E. D. Ball has been located at the University of - .Arizona, This collection and the associated field notes contained the data from a very complete study of the species found in Arizona, The writer made a sur­ vey of the biological data pertaining to Arizona leaf- hoppers which.was finished just before the collection was shipped to the National Museum. A. survey of the literature was also made in order to have a complete list of the species found in the state and additional biological data. Considerable time was spent in determining unidentified material with which valuable biological data was associated more information will be available when the unmounted and unidentified material in the collection is worked up at the National Museum. The writer has worked with Dr. Ball for several years and is familiar with the collection and notes. He has collected leafhoppers and other insects in many parts of the state, often with Dr. Ball, and is familiar with the places which are discussed in the notes. This paper con­ sists largely of records made by Dr. Ball and interpreted -1- —2w by the writer. The.term leafhopper is used in this paper in the general sense meaning not only the Clcadellidae or true leafhoppers, but also the Membracidae or treehoppers, the Cercopidae or spittlebugs, and the Fulgoridae or waxhoppers. These four families are quite similar in habits and are closely related to;each other. They are usually studied together because the methods of collecting and preparing specimens for study are much the same for each of the groups. These four families and the family Cicadidae consti­ tute the suborder Auchenorrhyncha of the order Homoptera. The order Homoptera is a very large group of diversified insects which is difficult to characterize collectively. All species are plant feeders and have mouth parts of the piercing-sucking type, without palpi. The wings when present are of a nearly, uniform texture. The Cicadidae are distinguished from the leafhoppers by having hind legs which are not fitted'for jumping. They are large species with entirely membranous wings. The nymphs are sub­ terranean. The suborder Sterrnorrhyncha contains the scales, aphids, white flies and jumping plant lice. The Auchenorrhyncha are distinguished from the Sterrnorrhyncha by having the beak plainly arising from the base of the — 3— head, and the tarsi, at least of the middle and hind legs, three jointed. They are always free living insects. The leafhopper fauna of Arizona is extremely rich. For example, of the 1,725 picadellidae which have been found in the United States, nearly 600 species have been found in Arizona. There are 94 Membracidae included in the present paper in comparison with 35 in a recent list of the Membracidae of Utah (Jorgenson), or 201 kinds re­ corded in the Van Duzee catalogue of North America. There are 182 species of Fulgoridae recorded from the state while Dozier lists 132 from Mississippi and Van Duzee lists 362 from the United States. This great variety of species is partially a result of the large number of different cli­ matic and floristic areas in the state. Also the state is so situated that we not only have a large percentage of the North American forms but we also have many forms whose affinities are with the fauna of Mexico and South America. • Our large number of recorded species is a result of the thorough work done in the state by Dr. Ball and other workers. He has built up one of the most important collec­ tions in the country. In 1932 it contained 2,800 species, 510 types, and paratypes of 600 species, totalling in all over 60,000 specimens. Since that time he has added a large amount of Arizona material. - 4 - In this state there is. an unusually good opportunity to study the ecological relationships of the leafhoppers. Plants and plant associations are often distinctly segre­ gated and the specific relationships can often be accu­ rately determined. These specific plant relationships are very important and will be listed wherever possible. When no specific relationship is known for a species, the distribution will be recorded by means of the life zone or geographic area. Specific localities have not been transferred from the notes in most cases. In the case of polyphagous species the type of plant upon which it is •found is usually given. Some species, for instance, are found on many types, of trees, and others on many types of herbaceous plants. " The most distinctive leafhopper fauna is found in the Lower Sonoran Zone. This zone includes those portions of the western and southern part of the state which are below about 4,000 to 4,500 feet in elevation. Typical plants are the creosote bush (Larrea tridentata), palo verde (Parkinsonia miorophylla), mesquite (Prosopis velutina), and the desert grassland. The Upper Sonoran Zone is the richest zone in regard to the number of kinds of leafhoppers. This zone occurs from 4,500 feet to 6,500 feet in the mountains. J,ive oaks pinon pine (Pinus edulis) , .juniper, sage brush (Artemisia tridentata), are typical plants, and the chaparral and northern short grassland are important plant associations in this zone. The Transition Zone occupies a considerable portion of the state. Its characteristic plants are yellow pine (Finns ponderosa). Chihuahua pine (Finns leiophylla). and Gambel oak (Q,uercus gambelii). This zone usually occurs between 6,500 to 8,000 feet elevation.