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

该奖项由2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助。该项目将为叶蝉亚科Deltocephalinae提供第一个用户友好的识别码和全球分类，Deltocephalinae是一个多样化，经济和生态重要的植物饲养昆虫群，包括980属和6329种。 主要目标是：1）汇编和分析目前公认的属的形态学数据; 2）将属分配给部落，特别强调确定目前包括在大的、定义不明确的部落Athysanini中的277个属的正确位置; 3）使用这些数据开发创新的、互联网可访问的部落和属的交互式检索表;和4）出版修订的分类，包括描述、分类表、有助于识别所有部落和亚部落的形态特征的插图，目前缺乏对三角头叶蝉的用户友好的识别工具，阻碍了跟踪和管理入侵物种和农业害虫的尝试，以及评估易受农业集约化和全球气候变化影响的天然草原生物群保护状况的努力。因此，通过提供一个更稳定的分类和促进三角头叶蝉的识别，该项目将积极影响人类福利和生物多样性的保护，除了促进未来的研究三角头叶蝉。

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.