Family Delphacidae

Subfamily Delphacinae

Tribe Delphacini

Distribution: Mostly eastern North America.

Type species (in original combination):  Delphax ornata Stål, 1862

Recognized species

There is a single recognized species in the genus:

Liburniella ornata (Stål, 1862) - widely distributed from Florida to Ontario (west to Nebraska and Missouri), in eastern North America, but also reported from Bermuda, California, and British Columbia.

Economic importance: Limited, although this species may be abundant.

Reported Hosts

Reported from the sedge Rhynchospora globularis, but probably polyphagous on sedges and maybe grasses.

Recognition

This species is abundant and highly distinctive.  The rounded 'areolet' (formed because the submedian carinae of the vertex are absent) is a unique feature of the genus.  Could be mistaken for Stobaera because of the patterned wings similar to that genus, but Stobaera has flattened antennae.  Genitalia have unusual upcurved processes on segment 10 and unusual genital armature.

Liburniella ornata

Short-winged forms (below) are uncommon in this species.

Live image

Thanks to Stephen Cresswell for use of this image (from here).

Molecular resources

At this time, neither Genbank or BOLD provides molecular data for this genus.  Urban et al. (2010) extracted 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless, and cytochrome oxidase I from Liburniella ornata for their analyses.

Selected references

Buntin, G.D. 1989.Dryinid (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) parasites of leafhoppers and planthoppers (Homoptera) in forage-type bermudagrass. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 62(4): 602-606. [reports a dryinid parasite of Liburniella ornata]

Crawford, D. L. 1914a. A contribution toward a monograph of the homopterous insects of the family Delphacidae of North and South America. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 46:557-640, plus 6 plates.

Wilson, S.W. and R.J. Gill. 1985. The first record of the Delphacid Liburniella ornata in California (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Pan Pacific Entomologist 61(1): 48-49.