SYSTEMATICS OF THE LEAFHOPPER GENUS DRAECULACEPHALA BALL (HOMOPTERA, CICADELLIDAE)

A checklist and synonymy for the 25 species of Draeculacephala is pres ented and an illustrated key based on discrete morphological character s is provided for species identification. Three new Neotropical specie s are described and illustrated. Previously unrecognized morphological characters useful for delimiting species and species groups include t he number of paleate setae on hind tarsomere I and the distribution of erect setae at the base of the male pygofer. Weighted and unweighted parsimony analyses of morphological characters of the species of Draec ulacephala and selected species of the related cicadelline genera Helo chara Fitch, Syncharina Young, and Xyphon Hamilton support the status of Draeculacephala as a monophyletic group. Placement of D. floridana Ball, type species of Carneocephala Ball, in Draeculacephala is also s upported. Draeculacephala apparently originated in Mexico or the south western U.S. and comprises three major lineages that diversified in is olation: 1) D. clypeata Osborn and related Central and South American species; 2) D. crassicornis Van Duzee and related species inhabiting n orth temperate North America; and 3) the remaining species, which are concentrated in the southeastern U.S.