Asia (Continent) - Cicada Mania

January 15, 2024

A Platypleura kaempferi

This cicada is a Platypleura kaempferi. The photo comes from us from Richard Newfrock. Platypleura kaempferi is a member of the tribe Platypleurini. P. kaempfer is found in China, South Korea, Japan and other locations — even Poland (but that cicada was likely transported along with produce or in the root ball of a plant). Platypleura means flat/broad sides, and kaempferi likely refers to Emil Kaempfer or Kaempfer’s woodpecker, whose wing resembles the wing of the cicada.

There are three species of Platypleura kaempferi¹ (I don’t know what distinguishes them. I don’t see the separate subspecies on iNaturalist either):

P. kaempferi brevipennis Naruse, 1983, which seems to be found in Japan.
P. kaempferi ridleyana Distant, 1905, which seems to be found exclusively in the Malay peninsula.
P. kaempferi kaempferi (Fabricius, 1794), which is found throughout Asia.

Platypleura

Here’s the iNaturalist collection of Platypleura kaempferi photos.

Here’s a comparison of the wing of Kaempfer’s Woodpecker with out possible Platypleura kaempferi:

Wing comparison

Although the woodpecker and cicada resemble each other, Yasumasa Saisho let us know that Platypleura kaempferi was described by the German biologist Engelbert Kämpfer, and its scientific name is derived from it.

Richard Newfrock took the photo of the cicada, and Joao Quental took the photo of Kaempfer’s Woodpecker (Celeus obrieni, Caxias, Maranhão, Brasil) which is under a CC BY 2.0 license.

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March 24, 2020

A wonderful collection of cicadas from south-east Asia

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Richard Newfrock — Dan @ 5:50 pm

A wonderful assortment of cicadas from south-east Asia from the collection of Richard Newfrock.

Click the image below for a larger version. Have fun guessing at the names of the cicadas in the comment section.

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March 19, 2019

Trengganua sibylla (Stål, 1863)

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Gaeanini | Malaysia | Thailand | Trengganua — Tags: T. sibylla — Dan @ 6:48 am

Trengganua sibylla (Stål, 1863) is a cicada found in south-east Asia, specifically peninsular Malaysia and Thailand.

When found in the wild & alive its wings are green and black, but the green turns yellow after death.

Trengganua sibylla (Stål, 1863)

Here’s a video of a living T. sibylla.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Gaeanini
Genus: Trengganua
Species: Trengganua sibylla (Stål, 1863)

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February 24, 2019

Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892

Gaeana atkinsoni is a cicada found in China, India, Thailand, and Vietnam, and likely adjacent nations.

Photos by Raghu Ananth.
Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892 from Uttara Kannada district in India by Raghu Ananth

Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892 from Uttara Kannada district in India by Raghu Ananth

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Gaeanini
SubTribe: Gaeanina
Genus: Gaeana
Species: Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892

For more information about this cicada, visit Cicadas of India.

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January 25, 2019

Tosena depicta Distant, 1888

Tosena depicta Distant, 1888 is a cicada found on Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, and Malaysia), and possbily other islands of the Malay archipelago.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Tosenini
Genus: Tosena
Species: Tosena depicta Distant, 1888

Tosena depicta Distant, 1888

Species specimen description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

Head and thorax above black; head with a spot at apex of front and a spot at each anterior angle of vertex, two central spots on anterior margin of pronotum, the posterior margin of pronotum, four spots in transverse series on mesonotum, and the posterior margin of mesonotum ochraceous ; the centre of basal cruciform elevation black. Abdomen above reddish ochraceous, with a central, longitudinal, narrow, dorsal, fuscous fascia. Head beneath, sternum, a lateral fascia to opercula, and legs black; a spot at base and one on each side of base of face ; coxas, apices of femora and tibia, tarsi (excluding base) and rostrum (excluding apex) ochraceous. Body beneath ochraceous, the basal segment blackish.

Tegmma dark olivaceous, the costal membrane and the venation reddish ochraceous, and with a transverse and slightly oblique greyish-white fascia near centre, not extending above the base of the second ulnar area; posterior basal margin narrowly reddish ochraceous. Wings black, the basal area reddish ochraceous, with its posterior margin black.

The rostrum reaches the apex of the basal abdominal segment, and the tegmina have their apices considerably attenuated.

Long. excl. tegm. 36 millim. Exp. tegm. 90 millim.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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January 24, 2019

Tibicina casyapae (Distant, 1888)

Tibicina casyapae (Distant, 1888) is a cicada found in India and Afganastan.

Tibicina casyapae was formerly known as Tibicen casyapae. It was moved from the Tibicen Latreille, 1825 genus to the Tibicina Kolenati, 1857 genus.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Tibicinini
SubTribe: Tibicinina
Genus: Tibicina
Species: Tibicina casyapae (Distant, 1888)

Tibicina casyapae (Distant, 1888)

[female] Head black; margins of front, ocelli, and a small central basal spot, dull reddish; eyes ochraceous. Pronotum dull reddish, the margins and two central longitudinal lines black. Mesonotum black; two central ” antler “- shaped fasciae, the lateral margins, and the basal cruciform elevation, dull reddish, the anterior angles of the last black. Abdomen above black. Body beneath black, somewhat greyishly pilose; face red, its central longitudinal sulcation black; rostrum black; legs reddish, the femora streaked with black beneath.

Tegmina and wings pale hyaline, their bases dull reddish, the venation blackish; the costal membrane of tegmina ochraceous.

The face is large, but laterally compressed and strongly striated, with a profound central longitudinal sulcation. The rostrum about reaches the intermediate coxae; the legs are robust, and the anterior femora have a strong spine beneath at apex and a similar spine near base.

Long. excl. tegm. [female] , 35 millim. Exp. tegm. 90 millim.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Nast, J., 1972a. Palaearctic Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera). An annotated check list. Warszawa: Polish Sci. Publ. 550 p. (records).

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January 23, 2019

Terpnosia stipata (Walker, 1950)

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Oriental Cicadidae | Psithyristriini | Sri Lanka | Terpnosia — Tags: T. stipata — Dan @ 1:01 am

Terpnosia stipata (Walker, 1950) is a cicada found in Sri Lanka.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Psithyristriini
SubTribe: Psithyristriina
Genus: Terpnosia
Species: Terpnosia stipata (Walker, 1950)

Terpnosia stipata (Walker, 1950)

Species specimen description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

[Male] Body above greenish-ochraceous; head with the margins of front and apical angles of vertex fuscous; the area of the ocelli, an oblique fascia on each side, and a small spot at inner margins of eyes, black. Pronotum with two central fasciae united posteriorly, the fissures, a spot on lateral margins, extreme edge of posterior margin and a spot on each side of same, black. (The discal coloration of the pronotum in the specimen described is l)ro\vnish-ochraceous.) Mesonotum with a central linear fascia with a shorter one on each side, followed by a small obconical spot and a sinuated sublateral fascia, black; two small spots in front of the cruciform elevation and the angles of same black. Abdomen with the posterior segmental margins, a broad central dorsal fascia, and a macular lateral fascia, very dark fuscous; extreme apex greyish -white. Bodj’ beneath and legs pale greenish; the abdomen beneath talc-like and semi-transparent; a few sternal spots, the anterior femoral spines, and the tarsi, more or less fuscous.

Tegmina and wings pale hyaline, the venation fuscous or ochraceous; tegmina with the costal membrane ochraceous; the transverse veins at the bases of the second, third and fifth apical areas infuscated, and a marginal series of small fuscous spots situate on the longitudinal veins to apical areas.

Face globose, centrally sulcated except at base, where there is a slight callosity; lateral striations profound; rostrum slightly passing the posterior coxae.

Long. excl. tegm. [male], 3:3 millim.; [female], 22 millim. Exp. tegm. [male] , 80 millim.; [female] , 70 millim.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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

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January 22, 2019

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863, is a cicada found in India and China.

Platypleura coelebs was formerly known as Poecilopsaltria coelebs.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Platypleurini
Genus: Platypleura
Species: Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Species specimen description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

Head ochraceous; front, excluding a central spot, margins of vertex between front and eyes, and a transverse fascia between the eyes black; pronotum pale castaneous, the posterior and lateral margins ochraceous; mesonotum castaneous, with four large obconical black spots on anterior margin, the central two smallest, a central discal elongate black spot and a small black spot in front of each anterior angle of the basal cruciform elevation; abdomen black, the tympanal coverings, and the posterior segmental margins ochraceous. Head beneath, sternum, legs, rostrum and opercula ochraceous; a transverse fascia between the eyes — enclosing a pale spot on face — inner margins of eyes, posterior margin of face and apex of rostrum black: abdomen beneath castaneous, with the posterior segmental margins and the apes ochraceous.

Tegmina with about the basal half creamy opaque shaded with pale fuscous, and more or less outwardly defined by an indistinct curved pale fuscous fascia, remaining area hyaline, costal membrane and venation dark ochraceous, the transverse veins at the bases of the second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh apical areas slightly infuscated; wings stramineous for about two-thirds their area from base, this coloration outwardly margined with fuscous, remaining area pale hyaline, the venation dark ochraceous.

The rostrum extends a little beyond the inner angles of the opercula, which are somewhat well separated.

Long. excl. tegm. 22 to 23 millim. Exp. tegm. 64 to 68 millim. Exp. pronot. angl. 11 millim.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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January 21, 2019

Dundubia rufivena rufivena Walker, 1850

Dundubia rufivena rufivena Walker, 1850 is a cicada from the island of Borneo (Indonesia, Malaysia and Brunei).

Dundubia rufivena rufivena was also once known as Dundubia mellea.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Dundubiina
Genus: Dundubia
Species: Dundubia rufivena rufivena Walker, 1850

D. rufivena rufivena Walker, 1850

Description of “Dundubia mellea, n. sp. ? or D. rufivena, var. ?” specimens from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas:

[male] Head, pronotum and mesonotum brownish-ochraceous, ocelli pale ochraceous, eyes pale castaneous; front with some obscure black lateral striae; mesonotum with two short faint central obconical spots, and a larger obconical spot on each lateral area; base of cruciform elevation dark castaneous; abdomen above and beneath and the opercula golden-yellow, margins of the opercula more or less shaded with black; head beneath, sternum and legs dull ochraceous, tibiae and tarsi pale castaneous.

Tegmina and wings pale hyaline, the first with the costal membrane and basal portion of the venation bright ochraceous, remaining venation darker; wings with the venation ochraceous, in some portions, infuscated.

The rostrum extends to about the intermediate coxae; the opercula are somewhat short, concave on each side near base and rounded at apices, which about reach the base of the fifth abdominal segment; anterior femora and posterior tibiae spined.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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January 20, 2019

Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius, 1775)

Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius, 1775) is a cicada found in China and Korea.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cryptotympana
Species: Cryptotympana atrata (Fabricius, 1775)

Cryptotympana atrata was formerly named Cryptotympana sinensis.
.

Cryptotympana atrata
Photo by Jon Allen in Yeouido park in Seoul in South Korea.

(Cryptotympana sinensis) species description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

[Male] Head ochraceous; front with the margins (but not meeting at apex) broadly castaneous; eyes olivaceous; ocelli reddish-ochraceous, with their surrounding area castaneous. Pronotum castaneous, the margins and a central fascia, which is much widened and ampliated at base, ochraceous. Mesonotum ochraceous, with two large obconical castaneous spots near each lateral margin and two large, central, very obscure obconical spots, which are only visible by their slightly darker margins; basal cruciform elevation pale olivaceous. Abdomen above ochraceous, the posterior segmental margins castaneous. Body beneath and legs ochraceous; face with the lateral carinae castaneous; apices of the tibiae and tarsi castaneous.

Tegmina pale hyaline, the venation ochraceous, the costal membrane pale greenish, and the basal third of the tegminal area tinged with pale ochraceous. Wings pale hyaline, the venation ochraceous, and the base narrowly tinged with pale ochraceous.

The face is tumid, the lateral carina robust and slightly waved; the rostrum extends to the intermediate coxae; the opercula are somewhat short, with their lateral margins slightly concave and their posterior margins oblique, they overlap at the center, and their apices extend to about the second abdominal segment.

Long. excl. tegm. [male] 40 millim. Exp. tegm. 118 millim.

References:

The 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.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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