Thread subject: Diptera.info :: Stenocranus to ID

Posted by johnes81 on 19-07-2019 13:21
#10

Hello Rui, i really think that it is S. major and that, then, will be a first record for Portugal. In this case, you should definitely consult an expert. I consider the leading experts to be Herbert Nickel and Rolf Niedringhaus. I have a copy of The Plant- and Leafhoppers of Germany and Fotoatlas of the cicadas of Germany (which uses photos from Gernot Kunz. The site that you bookmarked is his and it is accurate/reliable data.) Another site worth mentioning is BritishBugs, which is very reliable as well.

My books have the following species listed for Germany and subsequently i have keys.genitalia for them:

S. major, S. minutus, S. longipennis and S. fuscovittatus.

The identification keys contain drawings of genitalia for males only but the head in profile is used along with the foretibia of the males. You have a perfect lateral/profile view of the head and it does not look elongated but the longitudinal stripes are black. Thus you can eliminate S. minutus. S. minutus is said to reach lengths of 5.8mm. S. major is between 5.4-6.7mm, so larger than S. minutus.

S. major is listed to be found at watersides, moist ruderals and forest mires. I guess it prefers moist habitats. Nickel mentions it can be found on Phalaris arundinacea plant.

I think that it should be in Portugal, so strange that it isn't listed. Definitely write to an expert for confirmation. You could always send a leg in for dna sampling. I am not an expert but it sure looks like S. major to me.

always happy to help :)

edit:
another site with info about Old World species also has a key from Beamer:
http://canr.udel.edu/planthoppers/north-america/north-american-delphacidae/genus-stenocranus-fieber-1866/

I don't think that it matches those listed but i'm not an expert yet/ I love cicadas and i enjoy photographing them. I've only identified 20 or so by genitalia because i spend more time with diptera.

Edited by johnes81 on 19-07-2019 13:26