Family Flatidae

Subfamily Flatinae Spinola, 1839

Tribe Nephesini Melichar, 1923

Genus Antillormenis Fennah, 1942.

Type species (in original combination): Ormenis contaminata Uhler, 1895.

Synonyms: none.

Distribution: Caribbean.  (Reported, but unconfirmed, from southern U.S.)

Recognized species

There are 10 species currently assigned to this genus:

1 Antillormenis albicostalis (Fennah, 1941) - Montserrat
2 Antillormenis barbadensis (Fennah, 1941) - Barbados (St. Lawrence Gap)
3 Antillormenis cachibonae Fennah, 1942 - Dominica
4 Antillormenis contaminata (Uhler, 1895) - Cuba, Jamaica, St. Vincent; Mexico (Reported in error from USA: AZ, CA, TX; record from Mexico needs verification)
5 Antillormenis flaviclavata Fennah, 1942 - Dominica
6 Antillormenis grenadensis (Fennah, 1941) - Grenada (Grand Anse)
7 Antillormenis martinicensis Fennah, 1947 - Martinique
8 Antillormenis palicoureae (Fennah, 1941) - Dominica
9 Antillormenis sanctaliciensis (Fennah, 1941) - St. Lucia
10 Antillormenis sanctivincenti Fennah, 1942 - St. Vincent

List compiled primarily from FLOW (Bourgoin 2013), also Metcalf (1957)

Economic Importance:

Probably limited, but found on some agricultural species (Mango, Cacao, Banana).

Known host plants: 

Antillormenis albicostalis - Lantana involucrata L. (Verbenaceae), Caesalpinia L. (Fabaceae)

Antillormenis barbadensis - Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L. (seagrape, Polygonaceae)

Antillormenis cachibonae - Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L.

Antillormenis contaminata - Cajanus cajan (L.) Millsp. (as pigeon pea, Fabaceae [this host twice]), Mangifera L. (mango, Anacardiaceae),

Antillormenis flaviclavata - Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L.

Antillormenis grenadensis - Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L.

Antillormenis palicoureae - Palicourea crocea (Sw.) Roem. & Schult. (red cappel, Rubiaceae)

Antillormenis sanctaliciensis - Coccoloba uvifera (L.) L., Lantana involucrata L., Mangifera L.

Antillormenis sanctivincenti - Heliconia bihai (L.) L. (macawflower, Heliconiaceae), Inga laurina (Sw.) Willd. (sacky sac bean, Fabaceae), Musa L. (banana, Musaceae), Theobroma cacao L. (cacao, Sterculiaceae), Mangifera L., Tabernaemontana L. (milkwood, Apocynaceae)

Hosts from Fennah (1941, 1942) none listed in Wilson et al. 1994); plant names from USDA PLANTS or Tropicos.

Recognition:

There are no keys to species - it is best to use tails for species confirmation although most are known from single islands; most taxa were described in Fennah (1941).  There are many genera of flatid in the Caribbean and little guidance on identification (but Caldwell & Martorell 1951 has a key to Puerto Rico).

Compared to the U.S. Fauna:

Wings broad distally (not Selizini), held parallel to body (not Flatoidinae), Body predominately brown, grey or red shades (i.e., not green); forewing with 2 subapical veins; frons truncate at frontoclypeal suture, frons slightly wider than long (h:w ratio ~0.7-0.8:1); mesonotum brownish; wings often extensively pale, often with white costal area.  (In Caribbean, compare esp. with Petrusa.)

Description from Fennah 1942 (I'll summarize later)

Antillormenis contaminata (St. Vincent) (male) (species varies in color) (all photographs below by Kimberley Shropshire, Department of Entomology ,University of Delaware)

Antillormenis contaminata (St. Vincent) (female)

Antillormenis martinicensis (Martinique)

Illustrations of Genitalia (more later)

Antillormenis barbadensis from Fennah 1941

Antillormenis cachibonae from Fennah 1942

Antillormenis contaminata from Fennah 1941

Antillormenis grenadensis from Fennah 1941

Websites: Antillormenis is not present on Bugguide but is present on Discover Life here.

Collecting

Antillormenis can be collected by general inspection, sweeping or beating of woody vegetation, especially seagrape.  the genus is relatively common in the Caribbean.

Molecular resources: Data for Antillormenis is not available at this time on Genbank or on Barcode of Life.

Selected references:

Bourgoin Th. 2013. FLOW (Fulgoromorpha Lists on The Web): a world knowledge base dedicated to Fulgoromorpha.  Version 8, updated 18.ii.2013.  http://hemiptera-databases.org/flow/

Fennah, R. G. 1941. Notes on the flatid genus Ormenis in the British Lesser Antilles and Trinidad, with descriptions of new species (Homoptera-Fulgoroidea). Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 43(9): 191-210.

Fennah, R. G. 1942. Notes on some West Indian Flatidae. Proceedings of the Entomological Society of Washington 44: 155-167.

Fennah, R. G. 1947. Notes on West Indian Flatidae (Homoptera :Fulgoroidea). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 60: 107-11

Melichar, L. 1923a. Homptera, fam. Acanaloniidae, Flatidae et Ricaniidae. Genera Insectorum. Bruxelles 182: 1-185.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1957. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. Fascicle IV, Fulgoroidea, Part 13, Flatidae and Hypochthonellidae. North Carolina State College, Raleigh, North Carolina. Pp. 1-565.

Spinola, M. 1839. Essai sur les Fulgorelles, sous-tribu de la tribu des Cicadaires, ordre des Rhyngotes. (Suite). Annales de la Société Entomologique de France. Paris 8: 339-454.

Uhler, P. R. 1895. An enumeration of the Hemiptera-Homoptera of the Island of St. Vincent, W. I. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1895: 55-84.

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.