Cicada Mania

Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.

November 11, 2018

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

November 10, 2018

Fidicinoides sericans (Stål, 1854)

Filed under: Brazil | Carl Stal | Fidicinini | Genera Insectorum | South America (Continent) — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

Fidicinoides sericans (Stål, 1854) is a cicada found in Brazil.

Its name changed when it was moved from the Fidicina Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 genera, to the Fidicinoides Boulard & Martinelli, 1996 genera.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Fidicinina
Genus: Fidicinoides
Species: Fidicinoides sericans (Stål, 1854)

Fidicinoides sericans (Stål, 1854)
The image says Fidicina sericans, but the newer name of theis cicada is Fidicinoides sericans.

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).

November 8, 2018

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).

November 1, 2018

Orialella boliviana (Distant, 1904)

Orialella boliviana (Distant, 1904) was formerly known as Oria boliviana. Yes, its name has changed since 1913. The genus Oria still exists.

It is found in Bolivia and Brazil.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: ?
Genus: Orialella
Species: Orialella boliviana (Distant, 1904)

Orialella boliviana (Distant, 1904)
The image says Oria boliviana, but the newest name of this cicada is Orialella boliviana.

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

October 19, 2018

Pachypsaltria cinctomaculata (Stål, 1854)

Pachypsaltria cinctomaculata (Stål, 1854) is found in Columbia, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Venuezela.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cicadatrini
Genus: Pachypsaltria
Species: Pachypsaltria cinctomaculata (Stål, 1854)

Pachypsaltria cinctomaculata (Stål, 1854)

Pachypsaltria genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head including eyes a little more than half the width of base of mesonotum, the front subconically produced, about as long as vertex, head obliquely depressed, eyes oblique, slightly passing the anterior pronotal angles; face moderately globose, not longitudinally sulcate; rostrum passing the posterior coxas; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its posterior margin nearly twice as broad as anterior margin, the lateral margins dentately sinuate; mesonotum shorter than head and pronotum together, convex; abdomen short, about as long as head and pronotum together; tympanal orifices inwardly exposed; opercula short, broad, scarcely extending beyond base of abdomen: body pilose, marginally longly so; anterior femora not spined beneath; tegmina more than twice longer than broad, apical areas eight; wings with six apical areas.

Pachy (Greek) means thick, and psalt comes from “psalter” (Greek), which means harp player. Pachypsaltria = thick harp player.

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).

September 22, 2018

Hemisciera maculipennis (de Laporte, 1832)

I’m starting a new series on this blog called “has its name changed?” I’m looking through old documents and papers and using modern documents like Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) to check. Cicada names change from time to time, based on new discoveries by the modern cicada research/science community, and sometimes to fix grammar (like gender agreement between genus and species).

This cicada is Hemisciera maculipennis (de Laporte, 1832), also known as the “stop and go” or “stop light” cicada because of the red and green color of its wings. If you want to see one in real life, they exist in Central and South America, specifically Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, and adjacent nations. If you’re in New York and you want to see one, they have a few in the collection at the Staten Island Museum — last time I was there, there was a faded one in a display by the door (UV rays fade cicada specimen colors).

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
Sub Tribe: Guyana
Genus: Hemisciera
Species: Hemisciera maculipennis (de Laporte, 1832)

And, since 1914 at least, its name has not changed.

Hemisciera maculipennis (de Laporte, 1832)

A specimen from the Staten Island Museum:
Stop and Go

Hemisciera Amyot & Serville 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 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 information/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

May 12, 2018

Cicadas of South America

Filed under: Argentina | Brazil | Ecuador | Genera | Paraguay | South America (Continent) — Dan @ 11:42 am

There are far more species in South America than you’ll find on this page, but these are among the most well known.

Carineta Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Carineta diardi photo by Pia Öberg taken in Brazil
Carineta diardi photo by Pia Öberg taken in Brazil.

More about the Carineta genus, and Carinetini tribe.

Chonosia Distant, 1905

Chonosia crassipennis
Chonosia crassipennis photo.

More about the Chonosia genus, and Tettigadini tribe.

Fidicina Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Fidicina mannifera from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem.
Fidicina mannifera from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem.

More about the Fidicina genus, and Fidicinini tribe.

Hemisciera Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Hemisciera maculipennis (de Laporte, 1832)

More about the Hemisciera genus, and Piccinini tribe.

Majeorona Distant, 1905

Majeorona aper from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem. 2005.
Majeorona aper from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem.

More about the Majeorona genus, and Fidicinini tribe.

Quesada Distant, 1905

Quesada gigas from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem
Quesada gigas from Brazil, Photo by Leonardo Milhomem.

More about the Quesada genus, and Hyantiini tribe.

Zammara Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Zammara smaragdina
Zammara smaragdina Walker, 1850.

More about the Zammara genus, and Zammarini tribe.

Tettigades Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843

Tettigades mexicana Insecta Rhynchota

More about the Tettigades genus, and Tettigadini tribe.

Blog posts by country:

Links for further research:

If you’re researching Cicadas in the Neotropic ecozone, which is Central and South America, here are some resources that will help you:

1) Follow Andreas Kay’s Flickr feed. He posts many excellent cicada photos from Ecuador. Many cicadas found in Ecuador are not endemic, so the cicadas you see in Andreas’ Flickr feed should be found in adjacent countries.

2) Visit Cigarras do Brasil – Brazilian Cicadas for photos and information about the cicadas of Brazil.

3) Read Jacobi (1907) “Homoptera Andina”. (Not sure where to find it – maybe eBay).

4) Read: Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Volume I (1881-1905) by W. L. Distant and W. W. Fowler. It is available online. Here is a sample from that book:

Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Volume I (1881-1905) by W. L. Distant and W. W. Fowler

5) Search for papers written by Allen F. Sanborn. Here is how to search for cicada research papers online.

6) Use ITIS to traverse cicada species names and get listings of papers about the cicada — then search for the cicada names and papers.

7) Many photos and sound files of Paraguayan cicadas.

Thanks again to David Emery!

Click the images for larger versions, the species name and the name of the photographer.

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