PROC. ENTOMOL. SOC. WASH. 87(1), 1985. pp. 161-170 PLACEMENT OF THE GENERA ABELUS STAL AND HEMICENTRUS MELICHAR IN THE SUBFAMILY CENTROTINAE (HOMOPTERA: MEMBRACIDAE)' Lewis L. Deitz Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-7613. Abstract. — Distinguishing features of the homopterous families Aetalionidae and Membracidae are listed. The tribe Abelini (including Ischnocentrus Sxk\, 1 869, new placement, and Abeliis Stdl, 1869) is reassigned to the membracid subfamily Centrotinae, and a key is given to the three New World centrotine tribes. He-micentrus Melichar, 1914, is assigned to the Old World centrotine tribe Lepto-centrini, new placement. Centrotinae, Abelini, and Leptocentrini are described and illustrated. The taxonomic limits of the family Aetalionidae are in dispute. Evans (1946, 1948) summarized earlier opinions on its composition and concluded that only Aetalion Latreille, 1810, and Darthula Kirkaldy, 1900. belong to the family. Funkhouser (1951) placed Euwalkena Coding, 1926, with Aetalion in the Ae-talionidae, but listed Darthula in the Membracidae. Metcalf and Wade (1965) placed eight genera in Aetalionidae, including the two genera discussed here: Abelus StSl, 1869, and Heinicentriis Melichar, 1914. While not including Abeliis or Hemicentrus, Hamilton (1971) assigned 21 genera to the Aetalionidae, seven of which (along with Euwalkeria) have since been removed to the membracid subfamily Stegaspidinae (Deitz, 1975, 1983). Having examined representatives of all 25 genera placed in the Aetalionidae by Metcalf and Wade (1965) or Hamilton (1971), I concur with the classifications of Evans (1946, 1948) and Davis (1975) which listed only Aetalion and Darthula as definite aetalionids. Although lacking the posterior pronotal process which is characteristic of membracids (Table 1 ), Abelus and Hemicentrus have definite relatives among the membracid subfamily Centrotinae. Based on similarities in the male and female genitalia, wing venation, and chaetotaxy of the legs, Abelus (Figs. 23-32), type-genus of the tribe Abelini, is related to Ischnocentrus St&l, 1869 (Figs. 33-43). Likewise, Hemicentrus (^Figs. 12-22) is related to Leptocentrus StSl, 1869, type-genus of the tribe Leptocentrini (Figs. 1-9). Further research, including cladistic analyses, is in progress on the placement of the other genera formerly assigned to the Aetalionidae. Distinguishing features of the Aetalionidae and Membracidae, as here understood, are summarized in Table 1. Davis (1975) previously contrasted the Aetalionidae and Cicadellidae. ' Paper No. 9 1 1 4 of the Journal Senes of the North Carolina Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC 27695.
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