SYSTEMATIC POSITION AND CLASSIFICATION OF 

 LEAF-HOPPERS. 



Ca) SURVEY OF PREVIOUS SYSTEMS. 



•'Leaf-'hopper'" is a convenient, non-teduiical term to express 

 the Auchenoriiynchi, excluding the Cicadidae.^^^ 



As regards the structure of the mouth parts the components 

 of the order Heniiptera (or R'hynchota) are perhaps tlie most 

 isolated of true insects; they torm two sub-orders, viz.: the 

 Hctcrupfera (or ••'bugs" proper), and the Sipho)iatii (or Homop- 

 tera), the latter embracing two well marked groups, Auchcnor- 

 liyiiclii and Sicniorliyiichi, based on the method of articulation 

 of the labium. 



The former contains Cicadids and Leaf-hoppers; the latter, 

 Lerpinsects. Plantlice, Scalebugs, etc. The Cicadidae are not 

 included in the general term "'Leaf-hoppers" and will not be 

 noticed except for purposes of comparison, the Australian 

 forms having recently been monographed by Coding and FTog- 

 gatt. 



The first systematic disposition of any notevvorthiness was 

 that o'f Stal (1858, Stettiner Ent. Zeit.. XIX. 2^), in which he 

 recognizes 5 families, Fulgorina. Cercopina, Cicadina. Mem- 

 liracina and Jassina. differentiated as follows: 



1. Middle coxae elongate, articulated remote from each other. 

 Tegmina with tegulae ( i ) Fiiltioriiia. 



la. Mitldle coxae, short, conical, approximate. Tegulae ab- 

 sent 2. 



2. Posterior coxae .short, conical, not laterally dilated; tibiae 

 cylindric 3. 



2a. Posterior coxae transverse, dilated up to the lateral mar- 

 margins of the sterna; tibiae (at least the posterior pair) 

 angled. (4 and 5) Mcmbracliia & Jassina, distinguished b\- 

 the generally relative difiference in the shape of the genae. 

 and the spinoseness of the femora, also the attachment of 

 the 'head onto the prothorax, etc. 



*The Chermoidea (Psyllidai-) iii'^' "leaMioi>lifrs" ill a sense, hut lieloiiK to i 

 mp (Sternorhynchl). and are sometimes called poymlarly •■.liimiiinn Plant Li( 



