REVSYS: Reclassification of the leafhopper subfamily Deltocephalinae (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) with emphasis on the polyphyletic tribe Athysanini

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This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5).This project will produce the first user-friendly identification keys and global classification for the leafhopper subfamily Deltocephalinae, a diverse, economically and ecologically important group of plant-feeding insects, comprising 980 genera and 6329 species. The main goals are to: 1) compile and analyze morphological data for currently recognized genera; 2) assign genera to tribes, with particular emphasis on determining the correct placements of the 277 genera currently included in the large, poorly defined tribe Athysanini; 3) use the data to develop innovative, Internet-accessible interactive keys to tribes and genera; and 4) publish a revised classification, including descriptions, taxonomic lists, illustrations of morphological features useful for identification of all tribes and subtribes, and illustrated keys to tribes and to genera of Athysanini.The current lack of user-friendly identification tools for deltocephaline leafhoppers hinders attempts to track and manage invasive species and agricultural pests, as well as efforts to assess the conservation status of the native grassland biota, which is vulnerable to agricultural intensification and global climate change. Thus, by providing a more stable classification and facilitating identification of deltocephaline leafhoppers, this project will positively impact human welfare and conservation of biodiversity, in addition to facilitating future research on Deltocephalinae.