WING-COUPLING APPARATUS OF AUCHENORRHYNCHA (INSECTA, HOMOPTERA)

We carried out SEM studies of the wing-coupling apparatus (WCA) of 33 species of Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera) belonging to 15 families. The m ain structure of,this apparatus always has a wing-coupling forefold (W CFF) on the claval margin of the mesothoracic wings and a similar, lon gitudinal wing-coupling hindfold (WCHF) or shorter wing-coupling lobe (WCL) or wing-coupling hook (WCH) on the costal margin of the metathor acic wings. We believe that the differences in the morphology of the m icrosculptures present on the various parts of the WCA (in addition to the shape and size of the WCFF, WCHF, WCL and WCH) may be used as sys tematic characteristics at least up to the generic level.