A Review of the Tribe-level Characteristics of the Cladodipterini (Fulgoridae, Dichopterinae)

• Lucy Hook, Insect Ecology and Conservation, University of Delaware

• Charles Bartlett, Entomology and Wildlife Ecology, University of Delaware

The Cladodipterini (Fulgoridae, Dichopterinae) are a tribe widely distributed throughout Central and South America. The tribe currently contains three genera: Cladodiptera Spinola, Diacira Walker, and Sclerodepsa Emeljanov. The tribe was first described within the Dictyopharidae and then moved to the Fulgoridae because of its assumed relationship with Dichoptera Spinola. Here we provide an updated diagnosis of the tribe, including characters of male and female terminalia for the first time. We also compare the tribe to the Protachilini, the presumed sister group to Cladodipterini, and the only other representative of the Dichopterinae in the New World. The Cladodipterini are much more diverse than previously thought, with additional putative genera and many undescribed species remaining to be investigated.