Madagascar Flatidae (Hemiptera, Fulgoromorpha): state-of-the-art and research challenges

By

Swierczewski, Dariusz
Stroinski, Adam

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2013

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

319

Pages

293-301

Subjects

Flatidae , Fulgoromorpha , History , Madagascar , Research , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.319.4148

 

Abstract

The paper provides a historical review of the research on Flatidae in Madagascar and indicates future prospects. While the first two species of Madagascar Flatidae were described by Guérin-Méneville (1844), it was Signoret (1860) who made the first real attempt to enhance our knowledge of the Hemiptera fauna of Madagascar by describing several additional species. Over the following century and a half, several investigators have turned their attention to this group of insects, with the final number of species recorded for the island reaching 79. Despite this long history of research, it is evident that much still remains to be done. Detailed taxonomic research will allow the natural history of Madagascar and changes in the biological diversity of its endemic ecosystems to be better understood. This paper should be considered as an introduction to a complex study on the systematics and phylogeny of worldwide Flatidae planthoppers.