Lycorma

''Lycorma'' is a genus of planthoppers native to Asia. The first species within the genus was described by Frederick William Hope in 1843 and the genus was formally established by Carl Stål in 1863.

''L. delicatula'', known as the spotted lanternfly, is an invasive species in the United States, Japan, and South Korea.

Discovery and taxonomy

The genus ''Lycorma'' is in the planthopper family Fulgoridae, subfamily Aphaeninae. Species within this genus are native to Asia. Frederick William Hope, in 1843, described ''Lystra punicea'', the first named species of the clade. In 1845, Adam White classified two new species under the genus '' Aphaena'', ''Aphaena imperialis'' and ''Aphaena delicatula''. White described the species as similar to '' Aphaena variegata'', another planthopper species native to Asia, and referenced prior descriptions by George Tradescant Lay in his initial classification of the lanternflies.

Between 1846 and 1863, the species were reclassified by both John O. Westwood and Francis Walker. In 1863, the genus ''Lycorma'' was formally established by Carl Stål, with '' Lycorma imperialis'' designated as the type species.Stål C (1863) ''Beitrag zur Kenntnis der Fulgoriden. Entomologische Zeitung. Herausgegeben von dem entomologischen Vereine zu Stettin.'' 24: 230-251 . In 1929, Masayo Kato described two additional ''Lycorma'' species in Taiwan: '' L. meliae'' and ''L. olivacea'', but ''L. olivacea'' was later reclassified as a color form of ''L. meliae''.World Auchenorrhyncha Database: ''Lycorma''
/ref>Lin You-Sheng, Liao Jhih-Rong, Shiao Shiuh-Feng, Ko Chiun-Cheng (2023) Lanternflies (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) of Taiwan. ''Zoological Studies'' 62(7): 1-37. Additional reclassifications occurred through the work of Edwin Felix Thomas Atkinson, William Lucas Distant, Robert L. Metcalf, and others, including the synonymization of all former subspecies in 1996, so that only four species are now recognized by most authorities, and no subspecies.

The name ''Lycorma'' derives from the Lycormas river in Aetolia (Greek: Λυκόρμας - now the Evinos river: Εύηνος); in Greek mythology, Evenus drowned himself in the river Lycormas after being humiliated by his daughter Marpessa’s abduction at the hands of Idas. Members of this genus are often referred to colloquially as "lanternfly" or "lantern bug" due to their brightly colored hind wings. ''L. delicatula'' (often called the spotted lanternfly) has received a number of different colloquial names because it is invasive in South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

Species

# '' Lycorma delicatula'' (White, 1845) (synonyms ''Lycorma jole'', ''Lycorma operosa'')
# '' Lycorma imperialis'' (White, 1845) (type species; synonym ''Lycorma placabilis'')

# '' Lycorma punicea'' (Hope 1843) (synonym ''Lycorma delectabilis'')
# '' Lycorma meliae'' Kato, 1929 (synonym ''Lycorma olivacea'' Kato, 1929)

Distribution and evolution

Native range

The genus ''Lycorma'' has species distributed across South and Southeast Asia. Surveys in the 1930s found that ''L. delicatula'' is native to China's northern provinces of Shanxi, Shandong and Hebei, and has been used in traditional Chinese medicine since the 1100s. As of 2020, it has expanded its range to include Anhui, Beijing, Guangdong, Henan, Jiangsu, Sichuan, Yunnan and Zhejiang. ''L. delicatula'' has also been reported in Taiwan, Vietnam, and India, but ongoing research has yet to conclude if the species is native to these regions. '' L. imperialis'' is native to China, Bangladesh, and India, specifically the Assam and Sikkim regions. '' Lycorma punicea'' is known from Bangladesh and India (Assam, and Darjeeling), while '' L. meliae'' is native solely to Taiwan.

Phylogeny

The following cladogram shows the phylogenetic position of ''Lycorma'' among select genera of the Fulgoridae family:

Accidental introduction

In 2006, ''L. delicatula'' was discovered to have invasively spread to South Korea. In 2009, ''L. delicatula'' was discovered in Japan, and in 2014, the species was discovered in the United States. ''L. delicatula'' may have previously entered Japan sporadically since the 1930s, but only achieved a stable population in the early 2000s. It is believed that ''L. delicatula'' entered these countries via egg masses that were laid on exported goods. Currently, these countries have implemented pest control efforts which have sought to limit population growth and spread, due to the threat ''L. delicatula'' poses to global agricultural industries.

References

External links

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{{Taxonbar, from=Q10571340
Hemiptera of Asia
Aphaeninae
Auchenorrhyncha genera
Taxa named by Carl Stål