Family Delphacidae

Subfamily Delphacinae

Tribe Delphacini

Distribution: Tropical South America.

Type species: Sparnia praecellens Stål, 1862.

Recognized species

This genus is represented by three species

Sparnia edwardsi Muir, 1927 - Chile (Chiloe Is.)
Sparnia praecellens Stål, 1862 - Brazil, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Sparnia williamsi Muir, 1926 - Ecuador

Economic importance: 

Sparnia praecellens was reported by Muir (1926) from sugarcane in two locations (Bucay ~1,000 ft elevation; Banos ~6,000 ft elevation), and was listed by Box (1953) as a sugarcane insect.

Host plants:

Sparnia praecellens - reported from sugarcane (Saccharum officinarum L) (Poaceae).

Recognition

This genus is very distinctive; one of few Delphacini with flattened antennae, but differs from other Delphacini with flattened antennae in having both segments quite long, reaching or exceeding the mesonotum. 

Specimens are uncommon in collections, but sometimes found in series (Sparnia praecellens, at least).  Probably locally common.

Sparnia praecellens

Molecular resources: None.

Selected References

Box, H. E. 1953. List of sugar-can insects. Commonwealth Institute of Entomology, London.

Muir, F.A.G. 1926b. Contributions to our knowledge of South American Fulgoroidea (Homoptera). Part I. The Family Delphacidae. Experiment Station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association, Entomological Series, Bulletin 18:1-51, plates 1-5.

Muir, F.A.G. 1927d. A new species of Sparnia, Stål, from South Chile (Delphacidae: Homoptera). Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 9 20: 296.