Empoa saffrana

(McAtee, 1926)

Empoa saffrana is a leafhopper in the Cicadellidae, originally described as Typhlocyba saffrana by McAtee in 1926. It belongs to the subgenus Empoa of Typhlocyba and is part of the gillettei —a group of 14 Nearctic species that share identical male genitalia and are distinguished primarily by plant associations and color variation patterns. The species E. elmata Christian, 1953 was synonymized with E. saffrana in a 1983 revision. Like other members of its complex, it is a plant-feeding insect with .

Pronunciation

How to pronounce Empoa saffrana: //ˈɛm.poʊ.ə səˈfra.nə//

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Identification

Empoa saffrana is distinguished from other members of the gillettei through analysis of plant associations and color variation patterns, as male genitalia are identical across all 14 in this complex. Specific diagnostic features for E. saffrana alone are not documented in available sources.

Distribution

Nearctic region. Documented from Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, Ontario, and Québec based on distribution records.

Similar Taxa

  • Empoa gilletteiBoth belong to the gillettei and share identical male genitalia; distinguished by plant associations and color variation
  • Empoa bellaMember of the same with indistinguishable male genitalia; described from eastern Canada in same revision as E. saffrana synonymy
  • Empoa unifasciataMember of the same with indistinguishable male genitalia; described from eastern Canada in same revision

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