Categories
Cicada Cicadini Guatemala Rhynchota W. L. Distant

Cicada pennata (Distant, 1881)

Cicada pennata (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Guatamala.

Cicada pennata (Distant, 1881) was formerly known as Tettigia pennata.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cicadini
SubTribe: Cicadina
Genus: Cicada
Species: Cicada pennata (Distant, 1881)


The image says Tettigia pennata, but the newest name of this cicada is Cicada pennata.

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Head, pronotum, and mesonotum greenish. Head with the frontal marginal angles, a transverse streak on lateral margins, inner margin of eyes, and area of the ocelli black; ocelli red. Mesonotum with a central longitudinal suboblong spot, rounded posteriorly and angulated anteriorly, on each side of this a short oblique streak behind eyes, and a D-shaped spot near each lateral margin black. Mesonotum with four large, central, and somewhat irregular black-bordered obconical spots, a black spot on each lateral margin, and two small spots of the same colour in front of the basal cruciform elevation. Abdomen above dull testaceous, with the basal angles and anal appendage greenish, somewhat thickly clothed with white pile. Body beneath greenish; transverse striae to face, bases and apices of coxse, apex of rostrum, segmental incisures, and inner margins of anal appendage black. Legs greenish, apices of femora black, apices of tibiae and tarsi dull testaceous, tarsal claws black. Tegmina pale hyaline. Neuration of basal half greenish, remainder fuscous ; base of first ulnar area, transverse vein at base of second ulnar area, a central spot on the longitudinal vein enclosing third ulnar area, and transverse vein at base of eighth apical area, and claval margin black ; a prominent white opaque spot at base of first ulnar area. Anastomoses, and a submarginal row of spots situated on veins, pale fuscous. Wings pale hyaline; veins fuscous, with some of the discal ones greenish.

The face is globose, strongly and transversely striate, with a central longitudinal sulcation; rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; head small, with the eyes very globose, and much narrower than base of pronotum.

Long. 17 millim., exp. of tegm. 66 millim.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Argentina Bolivia Brazil Colombia Costa Rica Ecuador Fidicinini Guatemala Guillaume Antoine Olivier Guyana Mexico Panama Paraguay Quesada Rhynchota U.S.A.

Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790) aka Giant Cicada

Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790) Is a cicada found in the United States (Texas), Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Tobago, Trinidad, and Venezuela. It is the largest cicada in these locations.

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

See all Quesada gigas photos and information on cicadamania.com.

Song

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: Q. gigas

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
Genus: Quesada
Species: Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790)

Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790)
The image says Tympanoterpes gigas but its newest name is Quesada gigas.

Species description notes from Insect. Rhynchota.:

Stal treated this species as a synonym of T. grossa, Fabr. The type of the Fabrician species, however, is in the Banksian collection contained in the British Museum, and is very distinct, the opercula being large and rounded.

The figure given in the Encyclopedic Methodique is, like Stal’s, useless for any practical purpose. Among the habitats of this wide-ranging species is that given by Walker 2, ” West coast of America,” which, as before remarked in connexion with other species, seems clearly to refer to Central America. The forms inhabiting this region (of which a Guatemalan specimen is figured) appear to be somewhat smaller than more southern specimens, or do not exhibit the gigantic specimens which are frequently and commonly received from the southern portion of the Neotropical Region.

Mr. Gervase F. Mathew (Ent. Mo. Mag. xi. p. 175) gives some interesting details relating to this insect as observed at Tobago. As regards its powers of stridulation he writes of a ” tropical afternoon: ” — ” Suddenly, from right above, you hear one or two hoarse, monotonous cries something like the croak of a tree-frog, and, looking upwards, wonder what it can be. But wait a moment ; this is merely a signal ; for the next minute everywhere above and around you these croaks are repeated in rapid and increasing succession until they merge into a long shrill whistle almost exactly similar to the whistle of a first-rate locomotive ; this continues for nearly half a minute, and then abruptly terminates.” ” Presently similar cries will be heard in the far distance, as if in reply to those which have just died away overhead. The whistling pierces one’s ears to such a degree that its vibrations can be felt long after it has ceased.”

Mr. Mathew describes this species as frequenting trees growing in ravines where the soil is generally soft and damp, in which their larvae and pupae find no difficulty in burrowing. ” When the latter are full-grown and ready for their last transformation, they emerge from the ground and crawl about four or five feet up the trunk of a tree, when they firmly fix themselves to the bark by means of their powerfully hooked fore tibiae.” ” The flight of the mature Cicada is abrupt, rapid, and by no means graceful ; and it does not appear to have the power of controlling itself when on the wing ; for I have often seen it fly in an insane manner against the trunk of a tree, a branch, or any other object that might be in its line of flight; and when it has performed its journey without any accident, it alights abruptly and awkwardly. As a rule, however, it does not attempt to fly to any great distance at a time.”

Resources:

The Giant Cicada / Chicharra Grande page on the Texas Entomology websites is a very good resource, particularly in relation to the state of Texas.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  4. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  5. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  6. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.
  7. 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
  8. Notes:

    • Some descriptions are based on aged specimens which have lost some or a lot of their color.
Categories
Chrysolasia Guatemala Lamotialnini Rhynchota W. L. Distant

Chrysolasia guatemalena (Distant, 1883)

Chrysolasia guatemalena (Distant, 1883) is a cicada found in Guatemala.

Special note: this cicada might be related to the Magiciada (17/13 year cicadas) cicadas found in the U.S.

Chrysolasia guatemalena was formerly known as Tibicen guatemalenus.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Lamotialnini
Genus: Chrysolasia
Species: Chrysolasia guatemalena (Distant, 1883)

Note from David Marshall in the comments: “This genus has been moved to the tribe Lamotialnini (see Marshall et al. 2018). Interestingly, that makes it the closest known relative of Magicicada in the Americas.”


The image says Tibicen guatemalenus, but its newest name is Chrysolasia guatemalena.

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Obscure castaneous, somewhat thickly covered with ochraceous pilosity. Area of the ocelli, a central fascia to pronotum (which is ampliated and produced on each side at anterior and posterior margins), some obscure and irregular spots on mesonotum with cruciform elevation at base, and abdomen above fuscous. Body beneath much paler and very densely pilose; head, sternum, and opercula ashy grey; abdomen pale ochraceous. Tegmina pale hyaline; costal membrane, basal area, and claval base pale castaneous; veins pale fuscous. Wings pale hyaline ; veins and suffusion at abdominal area pale fuscous.

Head, including outer margin of eyes, broader than pronotum; face with a broad central longitudinal sulcation and somewhat faintly transversely striate; rostrum not quite reaching posterior coxae; opercula reaching base of second abdominal segment, narrowest at base, with the outer margins truncate, widened and rounded posteriorly, but not quite meeting inwardly.

Long. 20 millim., exp. tegm. 57 millim.

References:

  1. The illustration, location and description comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Allen F. Sanborn Cicadini Mexico Neocicada Rhynchota

Neocicada australamexicana Sanborn & Sueur, 2005

Neocicada australamexicana Sanborn & Sueur, 2005 is a cicada found in Mexico. There’s a very similar cicada in the United Stated called Neocicada hieroglyphica hieroglyphica (Say, 1830).

Neocicada australamexicana was formerly known as Tettigia hieroglyphica.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cicadini
SubTribe: Leptopsaltriina [slender Harp player in Greek]
Genus: Neocicada
Species: Neocicada australamexicana Sanborn & Sueur, 2005

Neocicada australamexicana Sanborn & Sueur, 2005
The image says Tettigia hieroglyphica, but the newest name for this cicada is Neocicada australamexicana.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Mexico Rhynchota Tettigades Tettigadini W. L. Distant

Tettigades mexicana Distant, 1881

Tettigades mexicana Distant, 1881, is a cicada found in Mexico.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Tibicininae
Tribe: Tettigadini
Genus: Tettigades
Species: Tettigades mexicana Distant, 1881

Tettigades mexicana Distant, 1881

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Head above black, front with an arcuated fascia at each, side of base of face on anterior margin, an indistinct, narrow, broken, central longitudinal fascia on vertex, and a broad streak behind inner margin of eyes, luteous. Pronotum with the disk ochraceous, having a large reversed triangular spot on anterior margin, a large oblique patch on each side behind eyes, and a small central transverse line near posterior margin fuscous; anterior border narrowly, lateral and posterior borders broadly luteous. Mesonotum black, with two central pale lines commencing on anterior margin and terminating about one third the length of mesonotum; basal elevation with large horn-like and branching angles extending therefrom to about centre of disk, and frenum, luteous. Abdomen black, strongly pilose, with the posterior segmental borders narrowly ochraceous. Underside of body and legs luteous ; base and central fascia to face, inner margin of eyes, some irregular marks on sternum and near coxae, a linear streak on each side of femora, a spot on trochanters, a marginal segmental row of spots to abdomen, and a large quadrate spot on apical segment fuscous. Tegmina pale hyaline; radial and postcostal veins, and venation of apical third of tegmina fuscous; postcostal ulnar ramus and remaining venation luteous. “Wings pale hyaline; basal half of venation luteous, apical half fuscous.

The face is moderately convex and gibbous, distinctly transversely striated, with a broad central longitudinal sulcation, the edges of which are slightly raised. The rostrum in the typical specimen has the apical joint mutilated, but apparently about reaches the posterior coxa?. The anterior femora are armed with two strong spines. Body very strongly pilose.

Long. 22 millim., exp. tegm. 68 millim.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Fidicinini Mexico Ollanta Rhynchota W. L. Distant

Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881)

Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Mexico and Nicaragua.

Ollanta modesta was formerly known as Selymbria modesta.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ollanta
Species: Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881)

Ollanta modesta (Distant, 1881)
The image says Selymbria modesta, but the newest name of this cicada is Ollanta modesta.

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Body dull testaceous. Head with the frontal margin, area of the ocelli, and posterior margin of eyes fuscous. Pronotum with two central fuscous fasciae on anterior margin, and sometimes two smaller ones on posterior margin. Mesonotum with two large obconical central spots on anterior margin; on each side of these a longer and more obscure obconical fascia, and a transverse fascia on disk, preceded by two small spots, fuscous. Basal margins of scutellum and abdominal segments fuscous. Body beneath paler; anterior margin of head and inner margin of eyes black. Tegmina pale hyaline; neuration ochraceous or dull testaceous (sometimes with the basal half much paler); transverse veins at the base of second and third apical areas, and a submarginal row of spots on longitudinal veins of first, second, and third apical areas fuscous. Wings pale hyaline, with the nervures ochraceous or testaceous.

Head, including eyes, equal in breadth to base of pronotum; face with a very deep central longitudinal sulcation, and strongly and transversely striate. Opercula pale, broad, not passing base of first abdominal segment, and narrowed but not meeting interiorly.

Long. 16 millim., exp. tegm. 57 millim.

This is the only Central- American species of the genus with which I am acquainted. It varies somewhat in the markings of the pronotum and mesonotum.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Carl Stal Fidicinini Mexico Proarna Rhynchota

Proarna sallaei Stål, 1864

Proarna sallaei Stål, 1864 is a cicada found in Mexico.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Proarna
Species: Proarna sallaei Stål, 1864

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Mexico Rhynchota Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) W. L. Distant

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Mexico.

Cacama maura was formerly known as Proarna maura, but its name changed when it moved from the genus Cacama Distant, 1904 to the genus Proarna Stål, 1864.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cacama
Species: Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)
The image says Proarna maura, but the newest name of this cicada is Cacama maura.

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Body and legs black; frontal margin of head, posterior margin of pronotum, lateral margins of face, apices of femora, and bases of tibiae dull obscure ochraceous; eyes luteous; lateral margins of sternum broadly margined with white pile. Tegmina pale hyaline, veins fuscous; basal area, costal membrane, and transverse veins at bases of second and third apical areas black. “Wings hyaline, veins fuscous, basal area black.

Body very broad and robust, with the segmental apices acute; head, including eyes, much narrower than base of pronotum. Face with the sides strongly striated, centre not sulcated, its width equal to its distance from outer margin of eyes. Rostrum reaching posterior coxae. Opercula large, oblong, black, straight outwardly, rounded posteriorly, slightly overlapping at inner margins near base.

Long. 25 millim., exp. tegm. 70 millim.

This species represents a distinct section of the genus, having the apices of the segments acute and the body very broad. This division, in every respect, including the black colour, exactly corresponds with a like divergence in the genus Cicada, as represented by C. robusta, Dist.

References:

  1. The illustration, location info and descriptions comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Cacama Mexico Rhynchota Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) W. L. Distant

Cacama longirostris (Distant, 1881)

Cacama longirostris (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Mexico.

Cacama longirostris was formerly known as Proarna longirostris, but its name changed when it moved from the genus Cacama Distant, 1904 to the genus Proarna Stål, 1864.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cacama
Species: Cacama longirostris (Distant, 1881)

Cacama longirostris (Distant, 1881)
The image says Proarna longirostris, but the newest name of this cicada is Cacama longirostris.

Species description by W. L. Distant:

Closely allied to P. maura [now Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)], Dist., but differs by the greater amount of the ochraceous markings on the pro- and mesonotum, in having a large ochraceous spot on each lateral margin of the abdomen above, and a small spot of the same colour on each side of the anal appendage, in the much smaller black basal area to the tegmina, and the almost absence of the same to the wings. The body beneath, including the legs and opercula, is ochraceous, the abdomen having the lateral margins and anal appendage black. Its principal structural difference is the length of the rostrum, which reaches the apex of the first abdominal segment.

Long. 24 millim., exp. tegm. 71 millim.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Categories
Brazil Costa Rica Fidicinini Guyana Nicaragua Panama Proarna Rhynchota W. L. Distant

Well, the genus is still Proarna

This one’s a bit of a brain twister, so I’m going to dump some facts and run.

Proarna albida is a former name for two species: Proarna insignis Distant, 1881 and Proarna olivieri Metcalf, 1963.

Scientific classification down the genus:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Proarna

The image below might be either one…

Description for Proarna albida from Insecta. Rhynchota.:

This species is strikingly variable, both in size and also as regards the length of the second apical area of the tegmina. Stoll’s figure being very unsatisfactory, I have here figured a specimen from Costa Rica.

Found in: Costa Rica, Trinidad, Guyana, Suriname, and Brazil.

Description for Proarna insignis from Insecta. Rhynchota.:

Var. insignis:

Body much broader than in any varietal forms of P. albida which have passed through my hands, lateral margins of pronotum more ampliated, markings of the tegmina darker and more distinct.

Long. 24 millim., exp. tegm. 63 millim.

Three females possessing this form have passed through my hands. As I have not seen the their sex, and can find no sufficient structural character in the female of specific value, I have felt it necessary to give a varietal name for the present, to prevent confusion.

Found in NicaraPanamand Panama.

For comparison sake, P. olivieri is found in Mexico, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Brazil, Guyana, French Guiana, Surinam, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Central America, South America. All over the place. From the notes within the Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

Whatever the latest name for Proarna albida is, it’s a nice looking cicada:
Proarna olivieri Metcalf, 1963

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Name information from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).