Pyrops is a genus of large, long-snouted and often colorful planthoppers commonly known as "lanternflies" that occur throughout the Indomalayan region. Nearly 70 species are described, but only about a third of these occur in continental Asia. The majority of species are insular endemics, found only on specific islands and often with very narrow distribution patterns. 23 taxa have currently been observed in photos on iNaturalist, the majority of these being either continental species or Borneo endemics. Conversely, there is currently no iNaturalist representation from the Philippines, where the genus is very diverse, and very little representation from the Indonesian islands of Sulawesi, Sumatra, and Java, which also have high degrees of endemism.
Species Groups
candelaria group: Cephalic process long and slender, apex narrower than the rest, never red dorsally and yellow ventrally
sultanus group: Cephalic process robust, laterally compressed, apex narrower than the rest, red dorsally and yellow ventrally
clavatus group: Apex of cephalic process strongly inflated, black area of hindwings limited to distal half of posterior margin or absent
polillensis group: Apex of cephalic process strongly inflated, black area of hindwings extending along all posterior margin
effusus group: Cephalic process short and strongly curved dorsally, apex slightly dilated and not brightly colored; hindwings blue basally
pyrorhynchus group: Cephalic process very long and slightly curved dorsally, apex slightly dilated and brightly contrasting red or yellow; hindwings blue basally
oculatus group: undefined (group presented in Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2017, but defining characters not explicit)
cultellata group: informally designated grouping for the bright green Saiva-like species similar to P. cultellata
Fig. 1: Pyrops species groups head detail: A) candelaria group. B) pyrorhynchus group. C) clavatus group. D) effusus group. E) sultanus group. © Arnold Wijker, Gonam, Carmelo López Abad, and Sterling Sheehy, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
Suggested References by Region
Andaman and Nicobar Islands:
Constant & Mohan, 2017
Borneo: Bosuang, Audibert, Porion & Chan, 2017 | Nagai & Porion, 1996 | Nagai & Porion, 2002 |
Constant, 2015
Continental Southeast Asia: Nagai & Porion, 1996 | Nagai & Porion, 2002 |
Wang, Xu & Qin, 2018
India/ Sri Lanka: Nagai & Porion, 1996
Indonesia: Java: Nagai & Porion, 1996 |
Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2017
Indonesia: Sulawesi: Nagai & Porion, 2002 | Nagai & Porion, 2004 |
Chew Kea Foo et al, 2010
Indonesia: Sumatra: Nagai & Porion, 1996
Indonesia: Sunda Islands: Nagai & Porion, 1996
Philippines: Nagai & Porion, 1996 |
Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2016 |
Yap et al, 2017 |
Porion & Audibert, 2017 |
Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2017 | Nagai & Porion, 2002
Illustrations of Pyrops aeruginosus and P. fumosus can't be found anywhere except Baker, 1925, but I cannot find color scans of that publicationTaiwan: Nagai & Porion, 1996
Annotated Bibliography:
Nagai & Porion, 1996. FULGORIDAE 2: Illustrated Catalogue of the Asiatic and Australian Fauna
Plates illustrate about two thirds of the described species including every continental species excluding P. jianfenglingensis (described by Xu & Qin 2018) and P. shiinaorum (Nagai & Porion 2002). Every species from Sumatra and Java is illustrated excluding P. alboroseus (Liang 1998), but none of the Sulawesi endemics and only a fraction of the Philippines species are illustrated.
Bosuang, Audibert, Porion & Chan, 2017. A Guide to Lanternflies of Borneo
Covers 10 of the 13 species reported from Borneo including many beautiful photos of each species. Pyrops esteban (Nagai & Porion 2002) and P. synavei (Constant 2015) are excluded as is P. pyrorhynchus, which can be found illustrated in Nagai & Porion 1996.
Wang, Xu & Qin, 2018. The lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola (Hemiptera Fulgoridae) from China with description of a new species. Entomotaxonomia 40(4) 296-309
Covers the seven known species from China, illustrating six of them and including a key to species. Pyrops jianfenglingensis is described as new.
Constant & Mohan, 2017. The lanternflies from Andaman and Nicobar one new Pyrops species, new records and illustrated key to the species (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha Fulgoridae). Belgian Journal
Covers all 3 species known from the Andaman & Nicobar Islands
Constant, Phauk & Bourgoin, 2016. Updating lanternflies biodiversity knowledge in Cambodia (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha Fulgoridae) by optimizing field work surveys with citizen science involvement through Facebook networking and data access in FLOW website
Covers the seven Pyrops species known from Cambodia (including P. spinolae and P. condorinus as separate taxa) including live photos of each.
Yap, Amarga, & Constant, 2017. The new polillensis group in the lanternfly genus Pyrops: Taxonomy, distribution and host plant (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) . Belgian Journal of Entomology 55 1-14
Covers both species of the Philippines-endemic polillensis group, one of two species groups with inflated head processes, and includes a key to species groups. But note P. silighinii (Porion & Audibert 2017) also seems to fall into this group, so refer to that publication for details about that species
Porion & Audibert, 2017. Pyrops silighinii n. sp., a new Fulgoridae from Philippines (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha). Faunitaxys 5(5) 1-4
Covers one new species from the Philippines which appears to fall in the P. polillensis group
Constant & Pham, 2017. Review of the clavatus group of the lanternfly genus Pyrops (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha Fulgoridae). European Journal of Taxonomy 305 1-26
Covers all three species of the clavatus group, one of two species groups with inflated head processes
Constant, 2015. Review of the effusus group of the Lanternfly genus Pyrops Spinola, 1839, with one new species and notes on trophobiosis (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha Fulgoridae). European Journal of Taxonomy 12
Covers all four species of the Borneo-endemic effusus group as well as P. intricatus, a similar species
Chew Kea Foo, Porion & Audibert, 2010. Cinq nouveaux Fulgoridae asiatiques (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha). Les cahiers du Musée des Confluences - Etudes scientifiques 1 51-64
Pyrops jasmini, a Sulawesi-endemic, is the only Pyrops sp. covered in this brief publication
Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2016. Pyrops priscilliae n. sp., a new Fulgoridae from Philippines (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha). Faunitaxys 4(2) 1-4 [1]
Covers two species from the Philippines
Nagai, Porion & Audibert, 2017. Pyrops nishiguroi n. sp., a new Fulgoridae from Philippines, with some notes on the Pyrops oculatus group (Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha). Faunitaxys 5(1) 1-5
Covers the four species of the oculatus group and illustrates two of them
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Asian Lanternflies: the genus Pyrops
