Populonia curvata ( Melichar, 1908 )

Gnezdilov, Vladimir M. & Bourgoin, Thierry, 2009, First record of the family Caliscelidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) from Madagascar, with description of new taxa from the Afrotropical Region and biogeographical notes, Zootaxa 2020, pp. 1-36 : 12

Populonia curvata ( Melichar, 1908)

(figs 16–18)

Homaloplasis curvata Melichar, 1908: 5

Populonia difformis Jacobi, 1910 , syn. fide Synave, 1957a: 14 Populonia hammersteini Schmidt, 1932: 42 , syn. n.

Material examined. Tanzania: 5Ƥ, Meru Nieder., Ngare na nyuki, jan., Sjöstedt, “ Populonia difformis , cotype” ( MNHN); 23, 2Ƥ, 8 mi S of Handeni, 24.XI.1974, I. Jakobsen ( NMWC). Kenya: 43, 1Ƥ, Nairobi Museum grounds, 7–13.V.1988, W.R. Dolling & J.H. Martin, “B.M. 1988-188” ( BMNH); 13, 1Ƥ, Langata, 7.V.1988, weeds and hay meadow, W.R. Dolling & J.H. Martin, “B.M. 1988-188” ( BMNH); 13, 1Ƥ, Nairobi KC, May 1955, “Brit. Mus. 1955-816” ( BMNH); 13, 1Ƥ, Tsavo East, VII.1977, D. Quicke ( BMNH); 13, Kasarani, 10–11.VIII.1989, swept savannah, “ NMW.Z.1989-129”, J.W. Ismay ( NMWC).

Note. The synonymy is based on comparison of the syntypes of P. difformis (females) (Meru Niederung, MNHN) with the photos of the syntypes of H. curvata (male and female), deposited in the Moravian Museum (Brno, Czech Republic), and with the photos of the holotype of P. hammersteini (female), deposited in the Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS (Warszawa, Poland). Until now the species was known only from Tanzania ( Melichar, 1908; Jacobi, 1910; Schmidt, 1932). The material from Lesotho ( Basutoland) and Republic of South Africa mentioned by Synave (1958: 172) under the name Populonia curvata belongs to Caliscelis nero and Asarcopus phaedo (see the examined material).