An annotated checklist of the planthoppers of Iran (Hemiptera, Auchenorrhyncha, Fulgoromorpha) with distribution data

Abstract A list of Hemiptera Fulgoromorpha (planthoppers) of Iran is provided, based primarily on literature records from 1902 to the present. In total 15 families and 235 species are recorded, with taxonomic details. Distribution data in Iran are given. Iranissus ephedrinus Dlabola, 1980 is transferred from Issidae to Nogodinidae. To resolve nomenclatural difficulty the following new combinations in Issidae are given: Iranodus dumetorus (Dlabola, 1981), Iranodus khatunus (Dlabola, 1981) and Iranodus repandus (Dlabola, 1981). Due to published generic synonomy the following are new combinations: Duilius seticulosus (Lethierry, 1874), Duilius tamaricis (Puton & Lethierry, 1887), Duilius tamaricicola (Dubovsky, 1966) and Duilius v-atrum (Dlabola, 1985).


Introduction
The infraorder Fulgoromorpha, also known as planthoppers, belong to the suborder Auchenorrhyncha of the order Hemiptera. Planthoppers are phytophagous and feed from the sap of a wide range of plants and in many habitats. They may occur in relatively large numbers in some habitats and under certain conditions. The wide-ranging history of entomology in Iran has been well-documented by chapters in Abivardi (2001). The earliest available records of Fulgoromorpha in Iran were by Melichar (1902a, b) who described some species from Iran. Afshar (1937) was the first Iranian entomologist who recorded Ommatissus binotatus lybicus (Tropiduchidae) in the list of agricultural pests for the country. Subsequent taxonomic studies in the Persian literature mainly focused on the insect pests in both agricultural and forest ecosystems (Gharib 1966(Gharib , 1998Kheyri 1989;Ahmadi et al. 1986;Karimzadeh Esfahani et al. 1998 etc). Field expeditions were made to various parts of Iran during the 1970s by Czech entomologists, including Jiri Dlabola, along with entomologists from the Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection. This resulted in a number of new discoveries of Iranian planthoppers, which were compiled in publications such as Dlabola (1974aDlabola ( , b, 1977aDlabola ( , b, 1980aDlabola ( , 1981Dlabola ( , 1982aDlabola ( , b, 1983aDlabola ( , b, 1985. Dlabola is responsible for the description of almost 50% of the currently known planthopper fauna of Iran. Fifteen planthopper (Fulgoromorpha) families have been recorded from Iran to date. Table 1 gives details of the numbers of species in each family and the number (and percentage) known only from Iran at present. Large numbers of species have been recorded in the Cixiidae, the Delphacidae, the Flatidae and the Issidae. The fauna is characterized by high endemism in groups such as Issidae, which are flightless and have relatively limited dispersal and a narrow distribution. However, the planthopper fauna may also well be under-recorded, for instance around 100 species of Delphacidae are known from Greece (e.g. Drosopoulos et al. 1983) but only 34 so far recorded in Iran. Dlabola (1981) refers to the biotic zones in which species are found.
In the current study a list of Fulgoromorpha species recorded from Iran has been compiled, which is based on literature records and the addition of some new taxonomic data. Much basic taxonomic work is needed in the region and it is hoped that this checklist will facilitate further studies on Fulgoromorpha of Iran. To resolve nomenclatural difficulty the following new combinations in Issidae are given: Iranodus dumetorus (Dlabola, 1981), Iranodus khatunus (Dlabola, 1981) and Iranodus repandus (Dlabola, 1981). Due to published generic synonomy the following are new combinations: Duilius seticulosus (Lethierry, 1874), D. tamaricis (Puton & Lethierry, 1887), D. tamaricicola (Dubovsky, 1966) D. v-atrum (Dlabola, 1985).

economic importance of planthoppers in Iran
Planthoppers are of high economic importance mainly because they reduce crop yield through feeding and oviposition and they can transfer phytoplasmas and viruses to a wide range of plants. The planthoppers of economic importance in the United States have been reviewed by Wilson and O'Brien (1987) who recorded 150 species of planthoppers from 99 economic plants. At least 8 species in that list have been also recorded from Iran, on agricultural products such as date palm, potato, tomato, wheat, corn, rice (Gharib 1966(Gharib , 1998Haghshenas and Khajehali 2000;Khajehali et al. 2001;Nematollahi and Khajehali 2000). A further nine species have also been recorded in Iran by Abaii (2000) as pests of forest trees.

Annotated species checklist
The following list is intended as an annotated checklist and not a catalogue. Emphasis is given to citations where Iran is recorded. Synonyms added after the current scientific name contain the original name, next the current name followed by its authority and next those synonyms which have been used for records from Iran. Selected taxonomic papers are cited where needed for clarity. Taxa are given in alphabetical order. Where species have only been found in Iran no further details of a wider distribution are given. Species listed in references, where no further information is given beyond the name, are cited as 'listed'. Locality records are listed for each species. Furthermore a list of locality names including latitude, longitude, codes for the localities and a distribution map are also provided. The codes consist of two parts: an alphabetical one for the name of provinces and a numerical one for the locality (Figs 1, 2).
Comments: Oliarus concolor Fieber, 1876 is taxonomically unclear, and apparently often interpreted by various author in various manners without having studied the (type material). Dlabola (1988): 64 lists it as a separate species. Also Oliarus bitinctus Dlabola has had a mixed history, synonymized with rufocarinatus by Emeljanov (1978), revived as separate species in Setapius by Dlabola (1988) and now as a synonym of rufocarinatus in Reptalus (Trepalus) by Emeljanov (1995).

Delphacodes audrasi
Comments: Asche and Remane (1983) discuss the status of Delphacodes mulsanti Fieber and suggested that both D. audrasi and D. linnavuorii are likely to be synonyms of mulsanti.
Extralimital distribution: North Africa, Europe, Western Asia, Afghanistan, Central, Northern and Eastern Asia.

Mycterodus
This large issid genus is now often treated species placed in subgenera such as Aconosimus. But not all Mycterodus species have yet been placed in subgenera, so those species found in Iran are listed under Mycterodus only.
Extralimital distribution: Southern, Western and Eastern Europe, North parts of Western Asia, Afghanistan and Central Asia.