Genus Liburniella Crawford, 1914
Distribution: Mostly eastern North America.
Type species (in original combination): Delphax ornata Stål, 1862
There is a single recognized species in the genus:
Liburniella ornata (Stål, 1862) - widely distributed from Florida to Ontario (west to Nebraska and Missouri), in eastern North America, but also reported from Bermuda, California, and British Columbia.
Economic importance: Limited, although this species may be abundant.
Reported from the sedge Rhynchospora globularis, but probably polyphagous on sedges and maybe grasses.
This species is abundant and highly distinctive. The rounded 'areolet' (formed because the submedian carinae of the vertex are absent) is a unique feature of the genus. Could be mistaken for Stobaera because of the patterned wings similar to that genus, but Stobaera has flattened antennae. Genitalia have unusual upcurved processes on segment 10 and unusual genital armature.
Short-winged forms (below) are uncommon in this species.
At this time, neither Genbank or BOLD provides molecular data for this genus. Urban et al. (2010) extracted 18S rDNA, 28S rDNA, wingless, and cytochrome oxidase I from Liburniella ornata for their analyses.
Buntin, G.D. 1989.Dryinid (Hymenoptera: Dryinidae) parasites of leafhoppers and planthoppers (Homoptera) in forage-type bermudagrass. Journal of the Kansas Entomological Society 62(4): 602-606. [reports a dryinid parasite of Liburniella ornata]
Crawford, D. L. 1914a. A contribution toward a monograph of the homopterous insects of the family Delphacidae of North and South America. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 46:557-640, plus 6 plates.
Wilson, S.W. and R.J. Gill. 1985. The first record of the Delphacid Liburniella ornata in California (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea). Pan Pacific Entomologist 61(1): 48-49.