Family Tropiduchidae

Subfamily Tambiniinae Kirkaldy, 1907

Gaetuliini Fennah, 1978 (sensu Gnezdilov 2007)

(Note: Historically part of Issidae [e.g., Fennah 1954]; subsequently transferred to Nogodinidae [Fennah 1984], then to Tropiduchidae [Gnezdilov 2007]).

Genus Dictyobia Uhler, 1889

Type species (in original combination): Dictyobia permutata Uhler, 1889; junior synonym of Hysteropterum semivitreum Provancher, 1889.

Synonyms: none.

Distribution: Southwestern USA

Recognized species

There are 4 species recognized in the genus:

Dictyobia atra Van Duzee, 1914 - USA: CA
Dictyobia combinata Ball, 1910 - USA: CA
Dictyobia semivitrea (Provancher, 1889) - USA: CA, TX (reported in error: CAN: QC)

  = Dicyobia permutata Uhler, 1889; syn. by Doering 1938: 424.

Dictyobia varia Doering, 1939 - USA: CA

Economic Importance:

Limited.

Known host plants: 

Dictyobia atra - Cirsium occidentale (Nutt.) Jeps. var. venustum (Greene) Jeps. (as Cirsium proteanum J.T. Howell; cobwebby thistle, Asteraceae)

Dictyobia semivitrea (as permutata) - Trixis californica Kellogg (American threefold, Asteraceae)

Hosts from Wilson et al. (1994); plant names from USDA PLANTS or Tropicos.

Recognition:

Dictyobia can be recognized among the Gaetuliini by the forewings covering the abdomen (vs. Danepteryx or Osbornia), forewing shape; forewing more elongate, costal margin straight or somewhat rounding (without a distinct bulla), with extensive dark patches; vertex not obtusely produced, distance from eye to apex of head much less than width of eye; posterior tibiae with 2 lateral spines.

Dictyobia semivitrea (All photos by Kimberley Shropshire, Department of Entomology, University of Delaware)

Dictyobia sp. (prob also semivitrea)

The key to Dictyobia species from Doering 1939 (note permutata is jr syn of semivitrea)

Dictyobia plate from Doering 1939.

Dictyobia is here on Bugguide and here on Discover Life.

Collecting

Dictyobia is collected by inspecting likely host plants or sweeping.

Molecular resources: As of this writing, data for Dictyobia is not available on Genbank; Dictyobia varia is available on Barcode of life.

Selected references:

Ball, E. D. 1910. New genera and species of Issidae (Fulgoridae). Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington 23: 41-45.

Doering, K. C. 1939. A contribution to the taxonomy of the subfamily Issinae in America north of Mexico (Fulgoridae, Homoptera). Part III. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 26: 83 167.

Fennah, R. G. 1954. The Higher classification of the family Issidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea) with descriptions of new species. Transactions of the Royal Entomological Society of London 105(19): 455-474.

Fennah, R. G. 1984. Revisionary notes on the classification of the Nogodinidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea), with descriptions of a new genus and a new species. Entomologist's Monthly Magazine 120: 81-86.

Gnezdilov, V. M. 2007. On the systematic positions of the Bladinini Kirkaldy, Tonginae Kirkaldy, and Trienopinae Fennah (Homoptera, Fulgoroidea). Zoosystematica Rossica 15: 293-297.

Kirkaldy, G. W. 1907. Leafhoppers supplement (Hemiptera). Bulletin of the Experiment Station of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters’ Association, Entomological Series 3:1-186, plus 20 plates.

Kirkaldy, G. W. 1908. A brief note on three (two new) California Fulgoroid Hemiptera. Proceedings of the Hawaiian Entomological Society 2: 22-23.

Melichar, L. 1906. Monographie der Issiden. (Homoptera). Abhandlungen der K. K. Zoologisch-botanischen Gesellschaft in Wien 3: 1-327.

Metcalf, Z. P. 1958. General catalogue of the Homoptera. Fasc. IV. Fulgoroidea, Part 15. Issidae. North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC. 561 pp.

O’Brien, L. B. 1988. Taxonomic changes in North American Issidae (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 81: 865-869.

Uhler, P. R. 1889. New genera and species of American Homoptera. Transactions of the Maryland Academy of Sciences 1: 33-44.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1914a. A preliminary list of Hemiptera of San Diego County, California. Transactions of the San Diego Society of Natural History 2: 1-57.

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.