Family Cixiidae

Subfamily Cixiinae

Tribe Oecleini Muir, 1922

Genus Oecleus Stål, 1862.

Type species (in original combination): Oecleus seminiger Stål, 1862.

Synonyms: None.

Distribution: Widespread in New World, most species in southwestern US and Mexico.

Recognized species

There are 64 species as follows

1 Oecleus arnellus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: AZ, NV, TX, UT
2 Oecleus augur Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ, TX
3 Oecleus balli Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ, CA, NV
4 Oecleus biflagellatus O'Brien, 1982a - USA: AZ
5 Oecleus borealis Van Duzee, 1912a - USA: AL, AZ, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, KS, MD, MI, MS, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, SC, TX, UT, VA; CAN: ON
      = Oecleus bilineatus Caldwell, 1938b: 305; syn. by Kramer 1977: 433-434.
6 Oecleus campestris Ball, 1902a - USA: AZ, CA, CO, NM, TX (reported in error: USA: CT, MS)
7 Oecleus capitulatus Van Duzee, 1912a - USA: AZ
     = Oecleus triplicatus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935: 198; syn. by Kramer 1977: 420, 422.
8 Oecleus centronus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: AZ
9 Oecleus chrisjohni Kramer, 1977 - USA: IL, MO, TX
10 Oecleus cucullus Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ, CA, TX, UT
11 Oecleus decens Stål, 1862a - Mexico (Baja California, Jalisco, Morelos, Sonora) (reported in error: USA: CA, CT, DC, LA, NC, NJ, NM, TX)
12 Oecleus epetrion Kramer, 1977 - USA: IL, TX
13 Oecleus excavatus Ball, 1902a - USA: AZ, CA, CO, NE, NM. OK
14 Oecleus fulvidorsum Ball, 1902a - USA: AZ, CA, CO, TX, UT
15 Oecleus glochin Kramer, 1977 - USA: CA, NV, UT
16 Oecleus jenniferae Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
17 Oecleus lineatus Ball, 1902a - USA: AZ, CA, NV, TX
18 Oecleus lyra Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
19 Oecleus martharum Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ, CA, NV, UT
20 Oecleus monilipennis Van Duzee, 1923a - USA: CA, NM, NV, TX; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California sur; Gulf of California: Ceralbo, Espiritu Santo, Mejia, San Esteban and Santa Cruz Islands)
21 Oecleus natatorius Ball, 1937 - USA: AZ
22 Oecleus netrion Kramer, 1977 - USA: CA
23 Oecleus netron Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
24 Oecleus nolinus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: AZ, NM, TX
      = Oecleus texanus Ball, 1937: 181; syn. by Kramer 1977: 408, 410.
25 Oecleus obrieni O'Brien, 1982a - USA: TX
26 Oecleus obtusus Ball, 1902a - USA: AZ, CA, CO, ID, KS?, NE?, NV, OR, TX, UT, WA; CAN: BC; Mexico (Baja California, Baja California Sur)
27 Oecleus palton Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
28 Oecleus patulus Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
29 Oecleus pellucens Fowler, 1904 - USA: AZ; Mexico (Chiapas, Federal District, Guerrero, Jalisco, Mexico, Michoacán, Oaxaca, Puebla, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tabasco, Veracruz); El Salvador, Guatemala
30 Oecleus perpictus Van Duzee, 1929c - USA: AZ, CA Mexico (Baja California, Sonora)
31 Oecleus pigmy Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: AZ, CA, ID, NM, NV, TX, UT
32 Oecleus piperatus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: AZ, CA; Mexico (Baja California)
33 Oecleus planus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: CA, NV
34 Oecleus pontifex Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
35 Oecleus productus Metcalf, 1923 - USA: AZ, CA, DE, FL, GA, IL, MD, MO, MS, NC, NE, NM, NV, TX, UT; Mexico (Sonora)
36 Oecleus quadrilineatus Van Duzee, 1912a - USA: AZ
37 Oecleus rhion Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
38 Oecleus sagittanus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 - USA: CA, NV, UT
39 Oecleus snowi Ball, 1905 - USA: AZ, CA, TX; Mexico (Baha California, Baha California Sur, Sonora)
40 Oecleus subreflexus Van Duzee, 1925 - USA: AZ, CA, NV, UT
      = Oecleus cabazonus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935: 201; syn. by Kramer 1977: 404, 406.
      = Oecleus pulchellatus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935: 201; syn. by Kramer 1977: 404, 406.
41 Oecleus tamiamus Ball & Klingenberg, 1935 -USA: FL, GA
42 Oecleus troxanon Kramer, 1977 - USA: UT
43 Oecleus vates Kramer, 1977 - USA: AZ
44 Oecleus venosus Van Duzee, 1912a - USA: CA, NV, OR, TX; CAN: BC

Neotropical species

1 Oecleus acutus Ball 1902:157 - Haiti
2 Oecleus addendus Fowler 1904:91 - Guatemala
3 Oecleus apicatus Caldwell 1944:176 - Mexico (San Luis Potosi)
4 Oecleus apterapunctatus Caldwell 1944:198 - Mexico (Oaxaca)
5 Oecleus brunneus Fowler 1904:91 - Mexico (Veracruz)
6 Oecleus cephalicus Caldwell 1944:200 - El Salvador
7 Oecleus concinnus Fowler 1904:91 - Mexico (Guerrero)
8 Oecleus constrictus Caldwell 1944:199 - Mexico (Michoacán)
   Oecleus decens Stål 1862:307 - Mexico (Baja California, Jalisco, Morelos, Sonora) (reported in error: USA: CA, CT, DC, LA, NC, NJ, NM, TX) (counted above)
9 Oecleus delongi Caldwell 1944:100 - Mexico (SLP)
10 Oecleus dubius Caldwell 1944:175 - Guatemala
11 Oecleus infuscatus Caldwell 1944:198 - Mexico
12 Oecleus kasparyani Emelyanov 2007:291 - Mexico
13 Oecleus minimus Fowler 1904:90 - Mexico (Guerrero)
14 Oecleus monilipenis Van Duzee 1923:190 - Mexico, (Baja)
15 Oecleus parallelus Caldwell 1944:176 - Mexico (Puebla)
     Oecleus pellucens Fowler 1904:91 - See above
16 Oecleus quinquilineatus Caldwell 1944:200 - Mexico (Guerrero Morelos Veracruz)
17 Oecleus seminiger Stal 1862:307 - Mexico (Veracruz)
18 Oecleus spatulatus Caldwell 1944:200 - Guatemala
19 Oecleus teapae Fowler 1904:89 - Mexico (Tabasco)

20 Oecleus tenellus Fowler, 1904 - Mexico (Guerrero)

Economic Importance:

Limited.

Known host plants: 

Oecleus arnellus - Chrysothamnus speciosus Nutt. (Asteraceae)

Oecleus balli - Atriplex (2 species; saltbush, Chenopodiaceae), Pluchea sericea (Nutt.) Coville (arrowweed, Asteraceae)

Oecleus borealis - Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet (desert willow, Bignoniaceae)

Oecleus campestris - Artemisia filifolia Torr. (sand sagebrush, Asteraceae)

Oecleus centronus - Salicornia L. (pickleweed, Chenopodiaceae)

Oecleus cucullus -Trixis californica Kellogg (American threefold, Asteraceae), Artemisia, Chilopsis linearis (Cav.) Sweet

Oecleus fulvidorsum - Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. (fourwing saltbush, Chenopodiaceae)

Oecleus glochin - Chrysothamnus, Hymenoclea Torr. & A. Gray ex A. Gray (burrobrush, Asteraceae)

Oecleus lineatus - Pleiacanthus spinosus (Nutt.) Rydb. (thorn skeletonweed, Asteraceae, as Lygodesmia spinosa)

Oecleus lyra - Dasylirion Zucc. (sotol, Liliaceae)

Oecleus martharum - Atriplex (3 species),

Oecleus monilipennis - Atriplex

Oecleus natatorius - grasses

Oecleus nolinus - Nolina Michx. (beargrass, Liliaceae), Yucca (Agavaceae)

Oecleus obtusus - Pluchea (Asteraceae)

Oecleus perpictus - Muhlenbergia porteri Scribn. ex Beal (bush muhly, Poaceae)

Oecleus pygmy - Atriplex (3 spp.)

Oecleus piperatus - Atriplex canescens (Pursh) Nutt. var. linearis (S. Watson) Munz (thinleaf fourwing saltbush as Atriplex linearis)

Oecleus palnus - Ericameria paniculata (A. Gray) Rydb. (Mojave rabbitbrush as Chrysothamnus paniculatus (A. Gray) H.M. Hall)

Oecleus productus - grasses, composites

Oecleus sagittanus - Pluchea sericea (Nutt.) Coville (arrowweed, Asteraceae)

Oecleus snowi - Baccharis salicifolia (Ruiz & Pav.) Pers. (mule-fat, Asteraceae as Baccharis glutunosa)

Oecleus subreflexus - Atriplex lentiformis (Torr.) S. Watson (Big saltbush), Pluchea, Ambrosia (Ragweed, Asteraceae, as Franseria), Chrysothamnus

Oecleus texanus - Yucca glauca Nutt. (soapweed yucca)

Oecleus sp. - Cocos nucifera L. (coconut palm, Arecaceae)

Oecleus sp. - Tamarix gallica L. (French tamarisk, Tamaricaceae)

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

Recognition:

Vertex compressed (carinae weak or obsolete), mesonotum with 5 conspicuous carinae; most taxa rather small.

U.S. species can be identified using Kramer (1977).  Species identification is mostly based on male genitalia.  The western richness makes identification challenging, but the few eastern species are less challenging.

Oecleus borealis (all photographs by Kimberley Shropshire, University of Delaware)

Oecleus sp. (San Diego, CA)

Oecleus sp (Louisiana) (may be borealis)

Collecting

Sweeping hosts, or at lights.

Molecular resources: Genbank has data for Oecleus productus, O. perpictus and several Oecleus sp.; Barcode of Life has data for 3 species  (Oecleus borealis, O. metatorius, O. nolinus)

Selected references:

Ball, E. D. and P. Klingenberg. 1935. The genus Oecleus in the United States (Homoptera: Fulgoridae). Annals of the Entomological Society of America 28:193-213.

Caldwell, J. S. 1944. Notes on Oecleus Stål (Homoptera: Cixiidae). Entomological News 8: 174-176, 198-202.

Fowler, H. G. and W. G. Whitford. 1985. Host plant ovipositional preferences and usage by Oecleus nolinus (Homoptera: Cixiidae). Southwestern Naturalist 30(4): 610-611.

Kramer, J. P. 1977. Taxonomic study of the planthopper genus Oecleus in the United States (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae). Transactions of the American Entomological Society 103: 379-449.

O'Brien, L. B. 1982. Two new species of Oecleus from Texas and Arizona (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae). Southwestern Entomologist 7(4): 252-254.

Thompson, C. R. 1984. Association of Paratrechina arenivaga (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), with nymphs of Oecleus borealis (Homoptera: Cixiidae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 92(1): 35-41.

Wilson, S. W. and J. E. McPherson. 1979. The first report of the occurrence of Oecleus chrisjohni and O. epetrion in Illinois (Homoptera: Fulgoridae: Cixiidae) Great Lakes Entomologist 12(4): 227-228.

Van Duzee, E. P. 1929b. A new Oecleus (Fulgoridae). Pan-Pacific Entomologist 5:173.

Wilson, S. W., J. H. Tsai and C. R. Thompson. 1983. Descriptions of the Nymphal instars of Oecleus borealis (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Cixiidae). Journal of the New York Entomological Society 91(4):418-423.

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