Genus Busas Jacobi, 1909

Busas dissolutus Jacobi, type species of Busas Jacobi.

© Copyright Murray Fletcher, Orange Agricultural Institute.

Museums

Regional Maps

• Busas Jacobi, A. 1909. Homoptera. Die Fauna Südwest-Australiens. Ergebnisse der Hamburger Südwest-Australischen Forschungsreise 1905 2(20): 337-345 [343].

  Type species:

   Busas dissolutus Jacobi, 1909 by monotypy.

Introduction

This genus is currently monotypic and endemic to the Swan Coastal Plain in Western Australia but a second undescribed species is known from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, New South Wales. Fletcher (2008) transferred the genus from the Ricaniidae to the Gaetuliini and commented that the venation matched that of Paralasonia australis Muir. Stroinski & Gnezdilov (2009) stated that Busas and Paralasonia were both valid genera and provided features by which the two genera could be differentiated. However, specimens in collections show various combinations of these features (particularly the shape of the head) and the possibility that these two names are synonyms remains, pending further revisionary work on the Australian fauna.

Distribution

States

Western Australia

IBRA and IMCRA regions

IBRA

WA: Sydney Basin (SB), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA)

Diagnosis

Kopf bedeutend breiter als das Pronotum, mit sehr grossen Augen; Scheitel tief, fast keilförmig eingedrückt; Stirn deutlich breiter als in der Mitte lang, ohne Kiele. Pronotum entsprechend dem Scheitel vertieft, mit scharfem Mittelkiel, Mesonotum dreikielig. Geäder der Deckflügel stark umgewandelt; Costalmembran wenig über ein Drittel des Deckflügels hinaus erkennbar, mit wenigen Queradern; aus der Basalzelle entspringen die drei Hauptstämme einfach, um hinter ihren Gabeln ganz kurze Diskoidalzellen zu bilden und sich danach in vieleckige Zellen unregelmässig aufzulösen; regelmässige Zellen umsäumen den ganzen Rand vom Ende der Costalmembran bis zur Clavusspitze und werden längs des Hinterrandes von einer Innenreihe solcher begleitet; die Clavusadern gabeln sich vor der Mitte. Hinterschienen eindornig (Jacobi 1909).

The genus Busas is very similar to the genus Paralasonia Muir, 1924 by the following characters: tegmina with short costal area narrower than costal cell and reaching about to 1/3 of length, costal cell without transverse veinlets, apical angle placed distad than claval one; tegmina with polygonal cells and one apical line of transverse veinlets. The genus Busas differs from Paralasonia as follows: vertex with obtusely angulate anterior margin (straight in Paralasonia); frons with distinct median carina only (very weak traces of lateral carinae present in Paralasonia); clypeus with median carina (without carina in Paralasonia); pronotum with median carina only (with smooth lateral carinae in Paralasonia); tegmina wider, apical angle widely rounded (Stroinski & Gnezdilov 2009).

ID Keys

Fletcher, M.J. (2001) Illustrated Key to the Genera of the family Tropiduchidae found in Australia (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) http://www1.dpi.nsw.gov.au/keys/fulgor/tropid/tropid00.htm

Diagnosis References

Stroinski, A. & Gnezdilov, V.M. 2009. Redescription of Busas dissolutus Jacobi, 1909, with notes on taxonomic position of the genus (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae). Annales Zoologici, Warszawa 59: 459–464 [460]

General References

Fletcher, M.J. 2008. A key to the genera of Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) recorded in Australia with notes on the Australian fauna, including a new species of Epithalamium Kirkaldy. Australian Journal of Entomology 47: 107-120 [119] (presenting alternative taxonomic arrangement Transfer of Busas from Ricaniidae)

Stroinski, A. & Gnezdilov, V.M. 2009. Redescription of Busas dissolutus Jacobi, 1909, with notes on taxonomic position of the genus (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Tropiduchidae). Annales Zoologici, Warszawa 59: 459–464 [460]

History of changes