VI INTRODUCTION 



name. This method of citation ehminates the necessity for a complete 

 Hterature citation in the catalogue proper, and thus saves time, space, 

 and publication costs. It is believed that the revised method will 

 cause no great inconvenience to the reader. Dr. Metcalf himself 

 advocated it under certain conditions, and it is felt that he would have 

 approved its use for his catalogues. 



The Family Nirvanidae consists of twenty-eight genera and seventy- 

 five species. This family may be characterized as follows : 



Somewhat flattened leafhoppers of medium size, 5-9 mm. in length, 

 and yellow, white, or orange in color, sometimes marked with red or 

 dark markings. The antennae are long, and the antennal ledges are 

 usually prominent. The ocelli are located on the crown of the head. 

 The transclypeal sulcus is sometimes distinct. The pronotum has 

 lateral margins, which are parallel or convergent in dorsal aspect. In 

 some species there are reflexed veins to the costal margin in the apical 

 half of the anterior cell of the forewing. The hind femoral setal 

 formula is 2:2:1. Sexual dimorphism occurs in some genera. The 

 reported food plants include sugarcane, grasses, legumes, and 

 Casuarina. 



The following classification has been adopted for this family: 



Page 



Family Nirvanidae 1 



Tribe Macroceratogoniini 2 



Subtribe Macroceratogoniina 2 



Subtribe Balbillina 3 



Tribe Nirvanini 5 



Tribe Stenometopiini 28 



Tribe Mukariini 29 



The species have been recorded from the following zoogeographical 

 regions: 29 from the Oriental Region, 17 from the Malaysian Region, 

 10 from the Palearctic Region, 7 from the Australian Region, 5 from 

 the Ethiopian Region, 1 each from the Oceanic, Austromalayan, 

 Neotropical, and Caribbean Regions, and 3 from two or more regions. 



The known geographic distribution of each species is indicated by 

 superscript figures at the end of the lines, which correspond to geo- 

 graphic regions designated by the same superscript figures. In general 

 the distribution is as given by the author of the reference, the country 

 being considered the smallest unit, except in the case of large countries 

 where states and provinces are the smallest units. In the larger 

 island groups the individual islands are indicated wherever possible 

 in view of the importance of island endemism. 



Raleigh, North Carolina D. A. Young 



for 

 January 1960 Z. P. Metcalf 



