Category: Genera

Genera of cicadas.

Categories
Fidicinini Genera Insectorum Mexico Ollanta W. L. Distant

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905, is a cicada found in Mexico.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ollanta
Species: Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) broader than base of mesonotum, eyes projecting beyond anterior angles of pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli about or almost as long as the front; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its posterior angles labately produced, its lateral margins obliquely narrowed anteriorly, very slightly sinuate; mesonotum moderately convex; abdomen short, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, tympanal coverings large, their apices subacute, anteriorly but not interiorly covering cavities; rostrum reaching posterior coxae; opercula small, transverse, only about reaching base of abdomen; face moderately globose; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first with eight apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Brazil Fidicinini Genera Insectorum Majeorona W. L. Distant

Majeorona bovilla Distant, 1905

Majeorona bovilla Distant, 1905 is a cicada found in Brazil.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Majeorona
Species: Majeorona bovilla Distant, 1905

Majeorona genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) considerably broader than base of mesonotum, eves porrect, more or less stylate, length of head about equal to half its breadth between eyes, and distinctly shorter than pronotum which is about equal in length to mesonotum; abdomen a little shorter than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, tympanal coverings in male with their inner margins strongly concave; metasternal plate well developed, centrally longitudinally impressed and anteriorly produced on each side; rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; anterior femora strongly spined beneath; opercula in male small, transverse, not extending beyond base of abdomen, tegmina about two and a half times as long as broad, with eight apical areas and the basal cell about as long as broad.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Genera Insectorum Indonesia Kamalata Psithyristriini W. L. Distant

Kamalata pantherina Distant, 1889

Kamalata pantherina Distant, 1889 is a cicada found in ‎Indonesia.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Psithyristriini
SubTribe: ?
Genus: Kamalata
Species: Kamalata pantherina Distant, 1889

Image from Genera Insectorum (1914):
Kamalata pantherina Distant, 1889

Image from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas:

Kamalata genus description from Genera Insectorum (1914):

Characters. — Head moderately deflected in front of eyes, its length about equal to space between eyes, its lateral margins discontinuous, the lateral margins of vertex being more or less at right angles to those of front, its width between eyes being distinctly narrower than base of mesonotum ; face globose; pronotum a little shorter than mesonotum. its lateral margins somewhat angulately sinuate, broad and laminate on posterior half; abdomen broad, robust, and moderately inflated, above somewhat laterally oblique on each side, beneath strongly channelled near each lateral margin ; tympanal coverings about as broad but shorter than the tympanal cavities, their length variable, either very short as in K. pantherina or about half the length of cavities as in K. javanensis ; opercula in male short, transverse, not extending beyond base of abdomen; rostrum considerably passing the posterior coxae; anterior femora strongly spined beneath ; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first maculate, variable in length, about as long as body, as in K. pantherina, or longer than body, as in K. javanensis, basal cell longer than broad ; apical areas eight.

Kamalata pantherina species description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas:

Body above and beneath dark chocolate-brown ; head with a longitudinal fascia to front, the margins and a transverse fascia to the ampliations in front of eyes, and a transverse spot at anterior margin of vertex, behind which are two outwardly curved lineate spots ochraceous, eyes luteous; pronotum with a central black hour-glass-shaped fascia somewhat margined and streaked with ochraceous, the posterior margin also ochraceous; mesonotum with two longitudinal waved linear fasciae, between which near anterior margin are two oblique spots, and the cruciform elevation, ochraceous; abdominal segmental margins ochraceous; apices of the femora luteous, anterior and posterior tibia) annulated at base, and the intermediate tibiae both at base and apex with fuscous.

Tegmina pale greenish-ochraceous-hyaline, the venation brownish-ochraceous; a large pale fuscous spot at bases of second, third, fourth, fifth, and seventh apical areas, some small spots at bases of sixth and eighth apical areas, two very small spots on the margins of third ulnar area, and a series of large marginal spots at the apices of the longitudinal veins to apical areas. Wings pale hyaline, the venation brownish-ochraceous.

Long. excl. tegm. [male] , 34 millim. Exp. tegm. 75 millim.

References:

  1. The first illustration and the genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. The second illustration, description and location information comes from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W. L. Distant. 1889-1892. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  3. Name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  4. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1
Categories
Basa Francis Walker Genera Insectorum India Psithyristriini

Basa singularis (Walker, 1858)

Basa singularis (Walker, 1858) is a cicada found in India.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Psithyristriini
SubTribe: Psithyristriina
Genus: Basa
Species: Basa singularis (Walker, 1858)

Basa genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head with front prominent and produced, its lateral margins at right angles with anterior margins of vertex, its breadth between eyes much narrower than base of mesonotum. its length about equal to that of pronotum; pronotum a little shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins convex anteriorly and concavely sinuate before posterior angles, which are ampliated; abdomen much longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, its lateral areas obliquely depressed above; beneath with the disk somewhat flat and the marginal areas obliquely directed upward; tympanal flaps shorter, but not narrower than tympanal cavities; opercula transverse and just passing base of abdomen; anterior femora strongly spined beneath near apex; anterior tibiae longer than femora, anterior tarsi more than half the length of tibiae; tegmina and wings long and narrow, greatest width of the first only equal to a third of length, its basal cell much longer than broad, fourth ulnar area much compressed at base of third, apical areas eight.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1
Categories
Ariasa Colombia Fidicinini Genera Insectorum Venezuela W. L. Distant

Ariasa colombiae (Distant, 1892)

Ariasa colombiae (Distant, 1892) is a cicada found in Columbia and Venezuela.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ariasa
Species: Ariasa colombiae (Distant, 1892)

Ariasa genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) wider than base of mesonotum, the eyes projecting beyond anterior pronotal angles, vertex at area of ocelli as long as or only a little shorter than front; posterior angles of pronotum more or less sublobately produced; abdomen about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympana largely exposed, the flaps only upwardly developed on the lateral areas; face large and globose; rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; opercula short, not passing base of abdomen; abdomen beneath prominently channeled at each lateral margin; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first with eight apical areas, basal cell a little longer than broad.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Dundubiini Genera Insectorum Indonesia Malaysia Megapomponia Michel Boulard W. L. Distant

Megapomponia merula (Distant, 1905)

Megapomponia merula (Distant, 1905) used to be know as Pomponia merula. Why did its genus change? Mega refers to the very large size of these cicadas. Michel Boulard created the Megapomponia Boulard, 2005 genus. Pomponia still exists (but those cicadas are smaller).

This cicada is found in Malaysia and Indonesia.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Megapomponiina
Genus: Megapomponia
Species: Megapomponia merula (Distant, 1905)

Megapomponia merula (Distant, 1905)
The image says Pomponia merula, but the newest name of this cicada is Megapomponia merula.

Not quite Mega, but here’s the Pomponia genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) about as wide as base of mesonotum, its length about or nearly equal to space between eyes, ocelli much farther apart from eyes than from each other, front anteriorly convex and slightly prominent; pronotum with the lateral margins moderately ampliate and sinuate, the posterior angles dilated, a little shorter than mesonotum; mesonotum with the disk moderately convex; abdomen in male longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings complete; opercula in male short and transverse ; rostrum passing posterior coxae; anterior femora spined beneath; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first usually more or less maculate, basal cell longer than broad, apical areas eight.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Genera Insectorum India Malaysia Mata Oncotympanini W. L. Distant

Mata kama (Distant, 1881)

Mata kama (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in India, Malaysia and likely the lands in-between.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Oncotympanini
SubTribe: ?
Genus: Mata
Species: Mata kama (Distant, 1881)

Mata genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) about as wide as base of mesonotum, distinctly shorter than space between eyes; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins a little convex, sinuate before the posterior lateral angles, which are moderately lobately produced ; abdomen in male short, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation ; tympanal orifices completely covered, tympanal coverings with their outer margins sinuate, the posterior angles only projecting beyond the lateral margins of the abdomen; metasternum prolonged in a broad, oblong, laminate process between the opercula, which are short, transverse, and not extending beyond the base of abdomen, their lateral margins visible from above; rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; anterior femora spined beneath; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first maculate; tegmina very long and narrow, more than three times longer than broad, with eight apical areas and the basal cell longer than broad; wings with six apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1
Categories
Genera Insectorum India Lahudadini Lahugada W. L. Distant

Lahugada dohertyi (Distant, 1891)

Lahugada dohertyi (Distant, 1891). This cicada is found in Assam, India.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Lahudadini
Genus: Lahugada
Species: Lahugada dohertyi (Distant, 1891)

Lahugada dohertyi (Distant, 1891)

Lahugada genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) considerably narrower than base of mesonotum, its length about equal to space between eyes, its lateral margins discontinuous, the lateral margins of front being almost at right angles to those of vertex; pronotum almost as long as mesonotum, narrowed anteriorly, the posterior angles prominent and rounded; abdomen considerably longer than space between apex of front and base of cruciform elevation; tympana completely covered, tympanal coverings broader than long; opercula short, somewhat globose, wider than abdominal margin, and distinctly visible from above; rostrum about reaching the posterior coxae; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first with eight apical areas and the basal cell longer than broad.

An article about L. dohertyi from 2019: A note on the taxonomy and natural history of the Summer Clicker Lahugada dohertyi (Distant, 1891) (Insecta: Hemiptera: Cicadidae) along with its distribution in northern West Bengal, India.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Cosmopsaltria Cosmopsaltriini Genera Insectorum Haphsa Papua New Guinea W. L. Distant

Cosmopsaltria meeki (Distant, 1906)

Cosmopsaltria meeki (Distant, 1906) used to be called Haphsa meeki. Yes, its name has changed since 1913. It was moved into the Cosmopsaltria genus. The Haphsa genus still exists.

This cicada is found in New Guinea.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cosmopsaltriini
SubTribe: Cosmopsaltriaria
Genus: Cosmopsaltria
Species: Cosmopsaltria meeki (Distant, 1906)

Cosmopsaltria meeki (Distant, 1906)
The image says Haphsa meeki, but the newest name of this cicada is Cosmopsaltria meeki.

Cosmopsaltria genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Body moderately long and robust, head as long as breadth between eyes, and including eyes as wide as base of mesonotum, with the front not twice as broad at base as anterior margins of the lobes of vertex, lateral margins obliquely continuous to front or very slightly sinuate; pronotum about as long as head, its lateral margins scarcely ampliated, but distinctly toothed or angulated; mesonotum slightly longer than pronotum ; abdomen short, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympana covered; opercula in male broad, either just or longly passing middle of abdomen, well separated and not overlapping, more or less concavely sinuate on each side at basal areas, their apices rounded or obliquely truncate; rostrum reaching, sometimes passing, the posterior coxae; tegmina and wings hyaline; greatest breadth of tegmina about a third of length, venation normal, basal cell much longer than broad.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Francis Walker Genera Insectorum Oncotympana Oncotympanini Philippines W. L. Distant

Oncotympana nigristigma (Walker, 1850)

Oncotympana nigristigma (Walker, 1850) used to be called Dokumu nigristigma (now its a junior synonym). Yes, its name has changed since 1913!

This cicada is found in the Philippines.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Oncotympanini
SubTribe: Oncotympanina
Genus: Oncotympana
Species: Oncotympana nigristigma (Walker, 1850)

Oncotympana nigristigma (Walker, 1850)

Oncotympana genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) nearly as wide or distinctly narrower than base of mesonotum, its length about or nearly equal to space between eyes; pronotum considerably shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins a little convex, its posterior angles ampliated; mesonotum large, convex; abdomen in male short, broad, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings very globose and projecting beyond the lateral abdominal margins; opercula m male short, transverse, with their disks a little convex; anterior femora spined beneath; rostrum passing the posterior coxae ; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first usually more or less maculate, apical areas eight, venation normal.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).