Automated Identification of Leafhoppers (Homoptera: Cicadellidae: Draeculacephala Ball)

An automated system was developed for identifying, without dissection, leafhoppers of the genus Draeculacephala Ball. An online interactive key first is used to place an unknown specimen in a species or species group using discrete external morphological features. A morphometric identification routine then uses linear discriminant models to identify specimens belonging to groups of species that lack discrete differences. Measurements are captured automatically with a video-image processor. This system achieves identifications quickly and with minimal operator training.