Family Delphacidae

Subfamily Kelisiinae

Tribe Kelisiini Wagner, 1963

The subfamily Kelisiinae consists of the single tribe Kelisiini.  The Kelisiinae is of Holarctic distribution and consists of two genera, the Palearctic Anakelisia Wagner, 1963 (with 2 species, A. fasciata (Kirschbaum, 1868) and A. perspicillata (Boheman 1845), and the Holearctic Kelisia Fieber, 1866.

Kelisiinae was treated as a tribe within Delphacinae by Emeljanov (1996).  Similarly, Kelisiini was treated as a subtribe (Kelsiina) of the tribe Stenocranini by Hamilton (2006).  The treatment of Kelisiinae as a subfamily or as a tribe of Delphacinae (along with all the other subfamilies of Eudelphacinae) is largely a matter of convention, since the proposed branching pattern of the delphacid phylogeny as presented by Asche (1985, 1990) and Emeljanov (1996) is the same for the advanced delphacid lineages. 

Urban et al. (2010) examined the higher classification of Delphacidae using 4 genes and morphology.  Their work largely substantiated the phylogeny of the high taxa of Delphacidae as initially proposed by Asche (1985).  Some support was found for the sister-group relationship between the Kelisiinae and Stenocraninae, but since the support was equivocal, they proposed maintaining these taxa as subfamilies until the issue could be more closely examined.

The main synapomorphy of the Kelisiinae is the presence of a process on the connection between segment 10 and the aedeagus (the "subanal process").  The sperm-conducting tube of the aedeagus is sclerotized (in contrast with the Delphacinae), and there is often a vestigial flagellum on the end of the aedeagus.  It appears that all species lack processes on segment 10.  The calcar is flattened (inner surface slightly concave), bearing large teeth. The tymbal of the male is sexually dimorphic (as in all higher delphacids) and the apodemes of the 2nd abdominal sternite are directed caudad (not dorsad is an Plesiodelphacinae). 

 

 

Genus Kelisia Fieber, 1866.

Type species (in original combination): Delphax guttula Germar, 1818.

 

Economic importance: Limited, none of the species on agricultural plants.  Some of the species may be on rare plants or in uncommon habitats.

 

Recognized species

There are 46 species in Kelisia, plus two species of uncertain status (1 New World, 1 Old World), as follows:

New World

1 Kelisia axialis Van Duzee, 1897 - USA: Connecticut, Iowa, Maryland, Maine, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin; Canada: Nova Scotia, Ontario, Prince Edward Island (some of the older records need verification)
2 Kelisia bimaculata Beamer, 1945 - USA: New Hampshire, Wisconsin
3 Kelisia curvata Beamer, 1945 - USA: District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas
4 Kelisia flagellata Beamer, 1945 - USA: Kansas
5 Kelisia flava Beamer, 1951 - USA: Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania; Canada: Ontario
6 Kelisia hyalina Beamer, 1945 - USA: Illinois, Kansas; Canada: Ontario, Quebec

7 Kelisia parvicurvata Beamer, 1951 - USA: Florida, South Carolina; Canada: Newfoundland
8 Kelisia pectinata Beamer, 1945 - USA: Illinois, Kansas; Canada: Ontario, Quebec

9 Kelisia retrorsa Beamer, 1945 - USA: Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin; Canada Ontario
10 Kelisia spinosa Beamer, 1945 - USA: Connecticut, Illinois, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Wisconsin; Canada: Manitoba, Ontario, Prince Edward Island
11 Kelisia torquata Beamer, 1951 - USA: Connecticut, North Carolina; Canada: Saskatchewan
12 Kelisia vesiculata Beamer, 1951 - USA: Connecticut, Illinois; Canada: Saskatchewan

There are also several undescribed North American species.

Incertae sedis
13 Kelisia vittata Muir, 1926 - Brazil (this species does not belong in the Kelisiinae)

Old World (distribution records incomplete; some older records may need verification or deletion)
1 Kelisia asahinai Hori, 1984 - Japan
2 Kelisia bajancogta Dlabola, 1965 - Mongolia
3 Kelisia bellatula Ding and Zhang, 1994 - China
4 Kelisia bispinifera Dlabola, 1967 - Mongolia
5 Kelisia brucki Fieber, 1878 - Albania, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Italy (inc. Sardinia), Russia, Slovakia, "Yugoslavia"
6 Kelisia confusa Linnavuori, 1957 (including K. nervosa Vilbaste, 1972 see Holzinger et al. 2003) - Austria (Styria), Italy (Southeastern Europe), Upper Rhine Plain (Germany, France)
7 Kelisia creticola Asche, 1982 - Crete
8 Kelisia fasciata (Kirschbaum, 1868) - England
9 Kelisia gargano Asche, 1982 - Italy
10 Kelisia guttula (Germar, 1818) - Widespread Europe, Russia, North Africa, Middle East (but records published before Remane & Jung 1995 need verification)
11 Kelisia guttulifera (Kirschbaum, 1868) - Austria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, "Yugoslavia"
12 Kelisia hagemini Remane & Jung 1995 - Australia (Carinthia), France (Pyrenees), Germany (southern), Greece (Mt. Olymp), Slovakia, Croatia, Northern Italy, Northeastern Spain
13 Kelisia halpina Remane & Jung 1995 - Austria (Styria, Carinthia, North Tyrol), Czech Republic (Moravia), Italy (Sudtirol), Slovakia, Switzerland (Alps in central Europe)
14 Kelisia haupti Wagner, 1939 - Northeastern Spain, southern France, Middle Germany, ?Austria, (Poland records probably in error)
15 Kelisia henschii Horvath, 1897 - eastern Austria, Hungary (southeastern Europe, Balkan Peninsula)
16 Kelisia irregulata Haupt, 1935 - Austria, France, Germany, Slovakia, Switzerland
17 Kelisia melanops Fieber, 1878 - Corsica, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Turkey (Anatolia), "Yugoslavia"
18 Kelisia melanura Vilbaste, 1968 - Russia (Maritime Territory)
19 Kelisia minima Ribaut, 1934 - France, Germany, Switzerland (rare and local)
20 Kelisia monoceros Ribaut, 1934 - Widespread Europe, Russia
21 Kelisia orchonica Dlabola, 1970 - Mongolia
22 Kelisia pallidula (Boheman, 1847) - Widespread Europe, Russia, Mongolia
23 Kelisia pannonica Matsumura, 1910 - Hungary, Germany
24 Kelisia perrieri Ribaut, 1934 - France , Cyprus, France, Italy
25 Kelisia praecox Haupt, 1935 - Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Estonia, France (Rhone Alps), Georgia, Germany, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Poland, Russia, Slovakia
26 Kelisia punctulum (Kirschbaum, 1868) - Widespread Europe, Russia
27 Kelisia ribauti Wagner, 1934 - Widespread Europe, Russia, Middle East, Azores, Canary Is., Cyprus, Madeira Archipelago, North Africa; China
28 Kelisia riboceros Asche, 1987 - Greece
29 Kelisia sabulicola Wagner, 1952 - Coasts of North and Baltic Seas, especially islands, also open sandy grassland (Nickel 2003) (Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden)
30 Kelisia sima Ribaut, 1934 - Austria (Styria), France (Pyrenees), Italy (Sardinia, Trentino), Germany, Gotland Island
31 Kelisia sulcata Ribaut, 1934 - France, Italy (Sardinia)
32 Kelisia vittipennis (Sahlberg, 1868) - Widespread (but local) - Europe, Russia, North Africa
33 Kelisia xiphura Vilbaste, 1968 - Russia (Maritime Territory); China
34 Kelisia yarkonensis Linnavuori, 1962 - Austria, Israel (Mediterranean region)

Incertae sedis (this may be a missed synonymy)
35 Kelisia nigripennis Muir, 1929 - South Africa

Reported Hosts

Most species are sedge specialists (Cyperaceae), rarely found off the host plant; a few species reported from rushes (Juncaceae), and one also reported from a grass.

New World

Kelisia flava - Scirpus cyperinus (L.) Kunth, Carex bullata Schkuhr ex Willd, Carex lurida Wahlenb. (shallow sedge)

Kelisia parvicurvata - Carex lurida Wahlenb. (shallow sedge)

Kelisia spinosa - Carex intumescens Rudge var. fernaldii Bailey, C. lucorum Willd. ex Link var. austrolucorum Rettig, C. pensylvanica Lam

Kelisia torquata - Carex stricta Lam.

Kelisia vesiculata - Carex stricta Lam.

Old World

Kelisia brucki - Juncus sp. (Juncaceae), Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Soják (roundhead bulrush, Cyperaceae; as Scirpus holoschoenus).

Kelisia confusa - Carex riparia Curtis, C. acutiformis Ehrh. (lesser pond sedge) (Carex elata All. for Kelisia nervosa)

Kelisia creticola - Juncus sp., Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Soják (roundhead bulrush, Cyperaceae; as Scirpus holoschoenus).

Kelisia gargano - Carex montana/humilis

Kelisia guttula - Carex flacca Schreb.(heath sedge)

Kelisia guttulifera - Carex divulsa Stokes (grassland sedge), C. sylvatica Huds., C. remota L., C. elongata L., C. vulpina L., C. distans L. (distant sedge), C. paniculata L.

Kelisia hagemini - Carex humilis Leyss.

Kelisia halpina - Carex humilis Leyss.

Kelisia haupti - Carex humilis Leyss.

Kelisia henschii - Carex sp. (in saltmarshes)

Kelisia irregulata - Carex flacca Schreb.(heath sedge)

Kelisia melanops - Carex sp.

Kelisia minima - Carex distans L. (distant sedge), Cyperus longus L.

Kelisia monoceros - Carex verna L.H. Bailey (native sedge), C. sempervirens Vill., C. muricata L. (Rough sedge), and Carex cuprina (Sándor ex Heuff.) Nendtv. ex A.Kern. (as Carex vulpina ssp. otrubae and C. otrubae)

Kelisia pallidula - Carex panicea L. (grass-like sedge)

Kelisia perrieri - Juncus sp., Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Soják (roundhead bulrush, Cyperaceae; as Scirpus holoschoenus).

Kelisia praecox - Carex brizoides L., Cyparus sp.

Kelisia punctulum - Carex acutiformis Ehrh. (lesser pond sedge)

Kelisia ribauti - Carex elongata L. (elongated sedge), Carex nigra (L.) Reichard (smooth black sedge); Eriophorum latifolium Hoppe (Broad-leaved cottongrass); E. augustifolium Honck. (tall cottongrass); Juncus sp., Deschampsia cespitosa (L.) P. Beauv. (tufted hairgrass).

Kelisia riboceros - Carex sp.

Kelisia sabulicola - Carex arenaria L. (sand sedge)

Kelisia sima - Carex flava L. (yellow sedge)

Kelisia vittipennis - Eriophorum vaginatum L. (tussock cottongrass), E. augustifolium Honck. (tall cottongrass), E. latifolium Hoppe (Broad-leaved cottongrass; Cottongrasses); Carex sp.

Kelisia yarkonensis - Juncus acutus L. (spiny rush), Scirpoides holoschoenus (L.) Soják (roundhead bulrush, Cyperaceae; as Scirpus holoschoenus).

 

Plant names primarily according to The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov) (GRIN or the Plant List when not in PLANTS, internet search when all else fails).

Host records reported from Wilson et al. (1994), Nickel (2003), Holzinger et al. (2003) and Bartlett & Wheeler 2007.

 

Recognition

North American species were revised by Beamer (1945, 1951).  Many Palearctic species can be identified by Holzinger et al. (2003) or Anufriev and Emeljanov (1988).

The blemma (spot on the 'cheek', see Kelisia flava) is more often present in Palearctic than Nearctic species.

Kelisia flava

Kelisia parvicurvata

Kelisia spinosa

Kelisia torquata

 

Kelisia vesiculata

Molecular resources

Genbank has data available for Kelisia sabulicola (here); BOLD has barcoding data available for Kelisia ribauti (here).   Urban et al. (2010) sequence 4 genetic loci (18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless, and cytochrome oxidase I) for Kelisia curvata (and Anakelisia fasciata).

 

Selected References

Anufriev, G. A. and A. F. Emeljanov. 1988. Volume II: Homoptera and Heteroptera. In: P.A. Lehr (ed.). Keys to the Insects of the Far East of the USSR in Six Volumes, Transliteration of the Russian title: Opredelitel’ nasekomykh Dal’nego Vostoka SSSR v shesti tomakh. Vol. 2. Ravnokrylye i poluzhestkokrylye. In: P.A. Lehr, (ed.). Keys to the Insects of the Far East of the USSR in Six Volume. Nauka, Leningrad.

Asche, M. 1982. Anakelisia amicorum Dlabola & Müller, 1973 und Kelisia transversa Logvinenko, 1977, zwei neue Synonyme von Anakelisia fasciata (Kirschbaum, 1868) (Homoptera Cicadina Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 1(7): 19-24.

Asche, M. 1982. Kelisia creticola nov. spec. und Erganzungen zu den ubrigen Taxa des Kelisia brucki Fieber, 1878 - Kreises (Homoptera Cicadina Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 1(6): 89-166.

Asche, M. 1985. Zur Phylogenie der Delphacidae Leach, 1815 (Homoptera: Cicadina: Fulgoromorpha). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 2(1):1-398 AND 2(2): 399-910.

Asche, M. 1986. Kelisia riboceros nov. spec. from Greece - an important finding for the phylogeny of Kelisiinae (Homoptera Fulgoromorpha Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 2(3): 179-192.

Asche, M. 1986. Remarks on the occurrence of Kelisia perrieri Ribaut from Cyprus supposed by Lindberg 1948 (Homoptera Fulgoromorpha Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 2(3): 211-216.

Asche, M. 1990. Vizcayinae, a new subfamily of Delphacidae with revision of Vizcaya Muir (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) - a significant phylogenetic link. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 30: 154-187.

Asche, M. and R. Remane. 1982. Wer sind Kelisia putoni A. Costa, 1888 und Delphax nigrifrons Matsumura, 1910? (Homoptera Cicadina Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 1(7): 13-18.

Bartlett, C. R. and A. G. Wheeler, Jr. 2007. Kelisia and Stenocranus species (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Delphacidae): new host-plant associations and distributional records of eight sedge-feeding planthoppers. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 109(2): 400-415.

Beamer, R. H. 1945. The genus Kelisia in America North of Mexico (Homoptera: Fulgoridae: Delphacinae). Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 18(3): 100-108.

Beamer, R. H. 1951. A review of the genus Kelisia in America North of Mexico. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 24(3): 117-121.

Ding, J.H. 2006. Fauna Sinica Insecta Vol. 45 Homoptera Delphacidae. Science Press, Beijing, China.

Emeljanov, A. F. 1996. On the question of the classification and phylogeny of the Delphacidae (Homoptera, Cicadina), with reference to larval characters. Entomological Review 75(9): 134-150. [the PDF is really bad, but it is all I have].

Hamilton, K.G.A. 2006. The planthopper genus Stenocranus in Canada: implications for classification of Delphacidae (Hemiptera). Canadian Entomologist, 138(4): 493-503.

Holzinger, W. E., I. Kammerlander, and H. Nickel. 2003. Fulgoromorpha, Cicadomorpha excluding Cicadellidae. Volume 1. The Auchenorrhyncha of Central Europe. Brill Academic Publishing, Leiden, Netherlands.

Nickel, H. 2003. The Leafhoppers and Planthoppers of Germany (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha), Patterns and strategies in a highly diverse group of phytophagous insects , Pensoft Series Faunistica 28, Sofia, Bulgaria

Remane, R. and M. Asche. 1982. Kelisia gargano noc. spec. eine neue Delphacide aus dem Mittelmeergebiet (Homoptera Cicadina Fulgoromorpha). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 1(7): 1-12.

Remane, R. and R. Jung. 1995. Beiträge zum Artenbestand der europäischen Kelisiinen (Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha, Delphacidae). Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 2(9): 1-70.

Remane, R. and A. Guglielmino. 2002. Female ectodermal gentalia of the taxa Kelsia guttula – group (Homoptera Fulgormorpha Delphacidae): not only an example for specialized coorganization with male genitalia without obvious reasons, but also a character set apt for species discrimination in westpalaearctic taxa? Marburger Entomologische Publikationen 3(2): 21-38 .

Ribaut, H. 1934. Nouveaux Delphacides (Homoptera-Fulgoroidea). Bulletin de la Societe d`Histoire Naturelle de Toulouse 66 (2): 281-301.

Trolle, L. 1980. Kelisia sabulicola W. Wagn. and Eurysa lineata (Perr.) (Homoptera: Delphacidae) new for Denmark. Entomologiske Meddelelser 48(1): 28.

Urban J. M., C. R. Bartlett, and J. R. Cryan. 2010. Evolution of Delphacidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea): combined-evidence phylogenetics reveals importance of grass host shifts. Systematic Entomology 35(4): 678-691.

Vilbaste, J. 1972. Kelisia nervosa n.sp. [A new Delphacid species from Lithuania] (Homoptera: Cicadinea). Proceedings of the Estonian Academy of Sciences-Biology/Ecology [Eesti NSV Teaduste Akadeemia Toimetised 23. Koide Bioloogia] 21: 75-77 [In Russian with English summary].

Wagner, W. 1935a. Die Zikaden der Nordmark und Nordwest-Deutschlands. Verhandlungen des Vereins für Naturwissenschaftliche Heimatforschung zu Hamburg 24 (1933—1935): 1—44.