Research interests

• Taxonomy of Australian leafhoppers (Hemiptera: Cicadelloidea)
• Taxonomy of Australian planthoppers (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha)
• Transmission of plant diseases by insects in the above groups.

Background

Dr Murray Fletcher is the head of the Agricultural Scientific Collections Unit at Orange Agricultural Institute, a unit which maintains market access and area freedom for NSW primary produce through ensuring the absence of exotic pests and diseases and providing rapid authoritative identifications for insects, mites, fungi and bacteria affecting agricultural activities in the state.

Dr Fletcher is also the Director of the Collections for the NSW Agricultural Scientific Collections Trust and Research Leader (Scientific Collections). In this capacity, he is responsible for ensuring that the scientific collections held throughout the department are recognised and, where appropriate, brought under the statutory protection of the Trust.

Dr Fletcher is the Australian taxonomic authority on leafhoppers and planthoppers and has, jointly or in partnership, provided the scientific name for 22 genera and 121 species of Australian insects in these groups so far. He also has the following taxa described by others in his honour:

Genera:

• Fletcherolus Löcker & Larivière 2006 (Hemiptera: Cixiidae) 
• Fletcherobrachys Constant 2006 (Hemiptera: Eurybrachidae)

Species:

• Amblyseius fletcheri Schicha 1981 (Acari: Phytoseiidae)
• Pseudofoenus fletcheri (Jennings & Austin 1997) (Hymenoptera: Gasteruptiidae)
• Monomalpha fletcheri Emeljanov 2000 (Hemiptera: Cixiidae)
• Anabunda murrayfletcheri Moir 2006 (Hemiptera: Achilidae)
• Mesonitys fletcheri Constant 2007 (Hemiptera: Eurybrachidae)

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Hons)
• Ph.D.
• FRES

Current projects

• Taxonomy of Australian Deltocephalinae and Typhlocybinae
• Taxonomy of Australian Cixiidae and Ricaniidae
• Finschaffen Disorder of Oil Palms and the role of Zophiuma lobulata Ghauri (Lophopidae)

Recent Publications

Fletcher MJ and Moir ML (2009) Budginmaya eulae gen. et sp nov., a myrmecophilous planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Flatidae) from Western Australia. Australian Journal of Entomology 48(1): 36-39.

Fletcher MJ and Larivière MC (2009) Anzygina, a new genus for some Australasian microleafhopper species formerly placed in the genus Zygina Fieber (Cicadellidae: Typhlocybinae: Erythroneurini). Australian Journal of Entomology 48(2): 164-176.

Fletcher MJ and Moir ML (2008) Gunawardenea, a new genus of squat leafhoppers from Western Australia, with description of two new species (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Records of the Western Australian Museum 24(4): 429-436.

Larivière MC and Fletcher MJ (2008) A new genus, Zeoliarus, for the endemic New Zealand species Oliarus atkinsoni Myers and O. oppositus (Walker) (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae: Cixiinae: Pentastirini). Zootaxa 1891: 66-68.

Fletcher MJ (2008) A key to the genera of Ricaniidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) recorded in Australia with notes on the Australian fauna, including a new species of Epithalamium Kirkaldy. Australian Journal of Entomology 47(2): 107-120.

Fletcher MJ (2008) An impressive new species of Euacanthella Evans from Western Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Euacanthellinae). General and Applied Entomology 37: 15-19.

Fletcher MJ and Zahniser JN (2008) The first record of Goniagnathini from Australia with description of four new species of Goniagnathus Fieber (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Zootaxa 1692: 43-54.

Fletcher MJ and Semeraro L (2007) Genus Carvaka Distant in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Selenocephalinae). Australian Journal of Entomology 46(Part 2): 89-95.

Knight WJ and Fletcher MJ (2007) A new deltocephaline leafhopper genus, Melanetettix, from Melanesia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Systematics and Biodiversity 5(2): 199-222.

Löcker B, Fletcher MJ, Lariviere M-C and Gurr GM (2006) The Australian Pentastirini (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Cixiidae). Zootaxa 1290: 1-138.

Löcker B, Fletcher MJ, Larivière M-C, Gurr GM, Holzinger W and Löcker H (2006) Taxonomic and phylogenetic revision of the Gelastocephalini (Hemiptera: Cixiidae). Invertebrate Systematics 20: 59-160.

Chang JC, Fletcher MJ, Gurr GM, Kent DS and Gilbert RG (2005) A new silk: Mechanical, compositional, and morphological characterization of leafhopper (Kahaono montana) silk. Polymer 46(19): 7909-7917.

Emeljanov AF and Fletcher MJ (2004) Hemielissum evansi, a new genus and species of Breddiniolini (Hemiptera : Fulgoromorpha), being the first Australian record of the tribe, with a discussion of the taxonomic position of the Breddiniolini. Australian Journal of Entomology 43(1): 38-42.

Liang AP and Fletcher MJ (2003) Review of the Australian aphrophorid spittlebugs (Hemiptera: Aphrophoridae). Australian Journal of Entomology 42(1): 84-93.

Pilkington LJ, Gibb KS, Gurr GM, Fletcher MJ, Nikandrow A, Elliott E, van de Ven R and Read DMY (2003) Detection and identification of a phytoplasma from lucerne with Australian lucerne yellows disease. Plant Pathology 52: 754-762.

Fletcher MJ and Moir ML (2002) Cryptobarsac rubriops, a new genus and species of selizine Flatidae (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha) from grasstrees (Xanthorrhoea preissii) in south Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum 21: 221-225.

Fletcher MJ and Semeraro L (2001) The genus Scaphoideus Uhler in Australia (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae). Australian Journal of Entomology 40(1): 1-8.

Fletcher MJ (2000) A new genus, Mayawa, for the reception of Limotettix capitatus Kirkaldy (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae: Deltocephalinae) and descriptions of five new species of Mayawa. Australian Journal of Entomology 39(3): 103-110.

Day MF and Fletcher MJ (1994) An Annotated Catalogue of the Australian Cicadelloidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha). Invertebrate Taxonomy 8: 1117-1288.

Fletcher MJ (1985) Revision of the genus Siphanta Stål (Homoptera: Fulgoroidea: Flatidae). Australian Journal of Zoology Supplementary Series. 110: 1-94.

Professional associations and activities

• Vice President/Chairman of Executive, Australian Entomological Society (2004-2008)
• Fellow, Royal Entomological Society of London
• Chairman, Standing Committee for International Auchenorrhyncha Congresses 
• Adjunct Professor, Charles Sturt University

Fields of Research 

• 060301 Animal Systematics and Taxonomy
• 060309 Phylogeny and Comparative Analysis
• 070603 Horticultural Crop Protection (Pests, Diseases and Weeds)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Taxonomy of Australian leafhoppers and planthoppers (Insecta: Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha)
• Plant diseases transmitted by leafhoppers and planthoppers.

Contact details