4 M. W. NIELSON 



INTRODUCTION 



For many years numerous species of coelidiine leafhoppers have been described 

 in the subfamily Coelidiinae s. 1. resulting in an accumulation of a few species 

 in several genera to over 225 species in the genus Coelidia s. 1. Species assigned 

 to Coelidia were described from all major zoogeographical regions of the world. 



The relegation of so many pantropical species into one genus was symptomatic 

 of a greater problem which unfolded after a long study of the group, i.e., a valid 

 generic concept of Coelidia had never been established. Thus, the subfamily 

 was floating about in a taxonomic atmosphere with no attachments to stabilize 

 it. The type-fixation of Coelidia by Kirkaldy (1901) did not provide a means 

 to develop a valid concept because a type-specimen of the type-species, venosa 

 Germar, was not available, and until recently it was believed to be no longer extant. 



I began this study in 1968, restricting the problem initially to a revision of the 

 genus Coelidia. However, at the suggestion of Dr Rauno Linnavuori of Turku, 

 Finland, and at the urging of Dr John Evans of Sydney, Australia, I consented 

 to expand the work to include a world-wide revision of the entire subfamily. 



The generic concepts and definition of the subfamily Coelidiinae deviate 

 considerably from those presented or understood by previous workers. Many 

 genera are here removed and are here provisionally assigned to other subfamilies 

 discussed below. Hopefully, this action will provide the stability that the 

 subfamily did not previously possess. 



The Coelidiinae as presently constituted embraces 6 tribes, nearly 100 genera 

 and over 600 species. The magnitude of the work has made it necessary to 

 publish the revision in four separate sections. The first presented herein treats 

 the tribes Tinobregmini, Sandersellini and Tharrini, which represent about one- 

 sixth of the total number of species. Treatment of the remaining tribes, Thagriini, 

 Teruliini and Coelidiini will appear separately at later dates. 



Under the Systematics, Morphology and Zoogeography sections I have limited 

 the discussion to a synopsis of the subfamily and the first three tribes, reserving 

 discussion of the remaining tribes until the conclusion of their individual treatments. 



SYSTEMATICS 



The subfamily Jassinae dominated the taxa of Coelidiinae for 126 years from 

 the time Germar (1821) described the first species, Coelidia venosa, until the 

 appearance of Evans' (1947) monumental work on a natural classification of 

 leafhoppers. Although Evans was credited as the author of Coelidiinae by 

 Metcalf (1964), it was Dohrn (1859) wri ° originally proposed the subfamily 

 (family Coelidiidae) and whose work I recognize as valid in accordance with 

 Article 36 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. 



The development of the systematics of the subfamily was very slow. When 

 the works of the reknowned hemipterists Distant (1908) and Baker (1915) were 

 published, significant advances were made from which a modern classification 

 was built. 



