MEENOPLIDAE Fieber, 1872

Hoch, Hannelore, Bourgoin, Thierry, Stelbrink, Björn & Wessel, Andreas, 2013, Small giants from Madagascan caves: autapomorphic giantism in the new cave-dwelling planthopper Tsingya clarkei gen. nov., sp. nov. (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Meenoplidae), Journal of Natural History 48 (15 - 16), pp. 919-935 : 922

Family MEENOPLIDAE Fieber, 1872

The Meenoplidae are currently divided into 2 subfamilies: Kermesiinae Kirkaldy, 1906 (= Nisiinae Muir, 1930) and Meenoplinae Fieber, 1872 . The new species from Madagascar does not fully correspond to any of the alternatives given in the key based on wing characters provided by Tsaur et al. (1986). The fusion of the claval veins near middle would support its placement into the Meenoplinae , the presence of two rows of sensory pits accompanying the first claval vein, however, renders it a member of the Kermesiinae . The Sc + R and M fork is situated neither “near the base” (as in Kermesiinae ) nor “near the apex” (as usually in Meenoplinae ) but at about midlength of Sc + R.

The new Tsingya species described below should be placed within Meenoplinae on the basis of the A2 vein being covered with sensory pits that are arranged irregularly. Indeed, the rows of sensory pits on each side of A1 are more or less developed, often more developed on the costal side and only developed in one row in Muirisinia (see Bourgoin 1997, fig. 52). The variability of this character contrasts with (1) a late separation of Sc + R and M; (2) the non-apical fusion of anal veins; and (3) the presence of many sensory pits on A2 that agree with diagnostical meenopline characters.

Bourgoin (1993b), however, argued that if Meenoplinae form probably a monophyletic group, monophyly of Kermesiinae remains questionable. Obviously the generic concepts in the Meenoplidae still need to be tested more thoroughly and subdivision of the Meenoplidae must therefore be regarded preliminary.