Cicada Mania

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

February 27, 2019

Tosena albata Distant, 1878

Filed under: Burma | India | Michel Chantraine | Nepal | Oriental Cicadidae | Thailand | Tosena | Tosenini | Vietnam | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

Tosena albata is a cicada found in Burma, India, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam. In the past, this cicada was known as Tosena melanoptera.

Photo by Michel Chantraine:
Tosena albata

Description:

Tegmina with five longitudinal greyish fasciae, one occupying radial area, and the others divided by ulnar veins, two of which amalgamate with the transverse fascia, and five irregular greyish fasciae situate in the apical areas. Wings with nine greyish ray-like fasciae situate on outer margin, the one at anal area largest; two-thirds of the outer margin narrowly edged with greyish. Apices of the femora not ochraceous.

Long. excl. tegm. Male 58 to 62 millim.; Female 48 millim. Exp. tegm. Male, 140 to 155 millim. Female, 130 millim.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Tosenini
Genus: Tosena
Species: Tosena albata Distant, 1878

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

References:

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

February 24, 2019

Gaeana atkinsoni Distant, 1892

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | China | Gaeana | Gaeanini | India | Raghu Ananth | Thailand | Vietnam | W. L. Distant — Dan @ 1:01 am

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.

February 21, 2019

Distantalna splendida splendida (Distant, 1878)

Distantalna splendida splendida is a cicada found in China, Thailand, India, Burma, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. It is formerly known as Tosena splendida. It is known in pop culture as the basis for the Cicada 3301 logo.

Photo by Dan Mozgai:
Distantalna splendida formerly Tosena splendida

Photo by Michel Chantraine:
splendida

This description comes from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W. L. Distant. 1889-1892. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website:

Body above black; front with a reddish spot at each basal angle; eyes, two small spots on vertex, four large spots to pronotum (two on disk and one at each posterior lateral angle) and two spots on disk of mesonotum,* luteous. Body beneath and legs black; lateral margins of the face, a wide central annulation to femora, and a central discal series of subtriangular spots, sanguineous.

Tegmina and wings— where not obscured by darker markings— pale hyaline, exhibiting varied opaline luster, which in some lights is found to be ornamented with close and regular series of transverse darker strife ; tegmina at base (narrowly) and costal membrane shining blackish ; venation bright luteous and for two-thirds from base broadly margined with shining blackish, and a series of shining blackish marginal spots on the apices of longitudinal veins to apical areas largest and somewhat fused at apex; claval area pale greenish. Wings pale greenish for nearly two-thirds their area from the base; remaining apical area shining blackish, enclosing a submarginal series of pale opaline spots, of which the largest are subapical.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Ayuthiini (formerly Tosenini as of 20212)
Subtribe: Distantalnina
Genus: Distantalna
Species: Distantalna splendida splendida (Distant, 1878)

References:

  1. Species name change information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  2. New Tribe: Hill Kathy B. R., Marshall David C., Marathe Kiran, Moulds Maxwell S., Lee Young June, Pham Thai-Hong, Mohagan Alma B., Sarkar Vivek, Price Benjamin W., Duffels J. P., Schouten Marieke A., de Boer Arnold J., Kunte Krushnamegh, Simon Chris (2021) The molecular systematics and diversification of a taxonomically unstable group of Asian cicada tribes related to Cicadini Latreille, 1802 (Hemiptera:Cicadidae). Invertebrate Systematics 35, 570-601. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS20079

February 19, 2019

Cryptotympana mandarina Distant, 1891

Cryptotympana mandarina is a cicada found in China, Laos, Vietnam, India, Thailand, and likely adjacent nations.

Photo by Michel Chantraine:
 Cryptotympana mandarina

This description comes from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W. L. Distant. 1889-1892. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website:

Male: Body above black; eyes fuscous; the anal segment of the abdomen with an ochraceous spot on each side. Body beneath and legs black; a spot at the anterior margin of the face, two marginal spots between face and eyes, lateral margins of face, femoral streaks, posterior tibiae (excluding bases and apices), margins of opercula, segmental margins (excluding disk), and apex of terminal segment, dark ochraceous.

Tegmina and wings hyaline, the venation fuscous; tegmina with the costal membrane castaneous, its extreme costal edge blackish, the post-costal area blackish; basal cell black; about the basal third of tegmina and the subcostal area to ax^es pale castaneous. Wings with about basal half irregularly very dark castaneous.

The opercula extend to about half the length of the abdomen, slightly overlap at the basal margin, somewhat concavely and obliquely sinuate at outer margins, and inwardly beyond base widely divergent to apices, which are narrowly and obtusely convex.

Long. excl. tegm. Male. 40 millim. Exp. tegm. 115 millim.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cryptotympana
Species: Cryptotympana mandarina Distant, 1891

February 13, 2019

Ayuthia spectabile Distant, 1919

Filed under: Ayuthia | Ayuthiini | Malaysia | Thailand | Tosenini | Vietnam | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

Ayuthia spectabile is a cicada found in Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.

Female Ayuthia spectabile:
Ayuthia spectabile Distant, 1919

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Ayuthiini (formerly Tosenini)*
Subtribe: Ayuthiina
Genus: Ayuthia
Species: Ayuthia spectabile Distant, 1919

* The tribe changed in 2021. See: Hill Kathy B. R., Marshall David C., Marathe Kiran, Moulds Maxwell S., Lee Young June, Pham Thai-Hong, Mohagan Alma B., Sarkar Vivek, Price Benjamin W., Duffels J. P., Schouten Marieke A., de Boer Arnold J., Kunte Krushnamegh, Simon Chris (2021) The molecular systematics and diversification of a taxonomically unstable group of Asian cicada tribes related to Cicadini Latreille, 1802 (Hemiptera:Cicadidae). Invertebrate Systematics 35, 570-601. https://doi.org/10.1071/IS20079

January 25, 2019

Tosena depicta Distant, 1888

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Borneo | Indonesia | Malaysia | Oriental Cicadidae | Tosena | Tosenini | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

January 24, 2019

Tibicina casyapae (Distant, 1888)

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | India | Oriental Cicadidae | Tibicina | Tibicinini | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Nast, J., 1972a. Palaearctic Auchenorrhyncha (Homoptera). An annotated check list. Warszawa: Polish Sci. Publ. 550 p. (records).

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:

  1. 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.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

January 19, 2019

Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881)

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Dundubiini | India | News | Oriental Cicadidae | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in India.

Meimuna tripurasura was formerly known as Cosmopsaltria tripurasura.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Cosmopsaltriaria
Genus: Meimuna
Species: Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881)

Meimuna tripurasura (Distant, 1881)

[Male] Head pronotum and mesonotum ochraceous. Head: front with a triangular black spot near base and transverse black striae. which do not meet in the centre; vertex with two large oblique and irregular black fasciae. on disk, and a large irregular black spot on inner margin of eyes. Pronotum with two central longitudinal black fasciae, and three oblique black striae on each side the outer one submarginal and somewhat rounded. Mesonotum with a large central clavate spot, of which the apex terminates on anterior margin, bordered on each side by a subconical spot, followed by a small triangular one and a large submarginal fascia, black. Abdomen dull sanguineous, with a series of discal segmental black fasciae (they are much larger in some specimens and subconfluent). and a lateral segmental row of irregular spots. Body beneath with the sternum ochraceous, covered with greyish pubescence.

Abdomen dull sanguineous; opercula pale sanguineous; legs ochraceous.

Tegmina and wings pale hyaline.

Front very prominent and convex; head, including eyes, narrower than base of pronotum, subequal to mesonotum in width. Opercula subtriangular. well separated at base, gradually becoming more divergent, and narrowing to apex, which is obtuse, and reaches the fourth abdominal segment. Anterior femora armed with three spines; two moderately large and ochraceous, apical one small and black. Posterior tibiae with three black spines on inner side near apex, and two smaller and wider apart on outer margin.

Long. excl. tegm. [male] , 33 millim. Exp. tegm. 85 millim.

References:

  1. 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.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

January 18, 2019

Champaka meyeri (Distant, 1883)

Filed under: Asia (Continent) | Champaka | Dundubiini | Indonesia | Oriental Cicadidae | W. L. Distant — Tags: — Dan @ 1:01 am

Champaka meyeri (Distant, 1883) is a cicada found in Indonesia.

Champaka meyeri was formerly known as Cosmopsaltria majuscula.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Dundubiina
Genus: Champaka
Species: Champaka meyeri (Distant, 1883)

Champaka meyeri (Distant, 1883)

Species (Cosmopsaltria majuscula) description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

Body above warm-ochraceous. Head with the front, — excepting base and apex, — the area of the ocelli, and a larger spot on inner margin of eyes, dark castaneous; eyes ochraceous, with their inner area olivaceous. Pronotum with a broad central longitudinal castaneous fascia and a small castaneous spot near anterior lateral margin. Mesonotum with five blackish fasciae, the central one very slender and joining a triangular fascia in front of basal cruciform elevation, on each side of the central fascia is a short and broader one, and the lateral fasciae are long, broad and slightly curved. Abdomen above ochraceous. Body beneath ochraceous; the face blackish, with a central ochraceous spot near anterior margin, and a black marginal spot between eyes and face; legs pale castaneous, the inner margins of anterior femora blackish, anterior and intermediate tibiae and tarsi somewhat darker castaneous, the posterior tarsi ochraceous.

Tegmina and wings pale hyaline, the venation ochraceous, but becoming fuscous towards apical areas; the tegmina with the costal margin fuscous beyond base of upper ulnar area, and the transverse veins at bases of second and third apical areas infuscated.

The body is long and broad; the rostrum reaches the posterior coxae; the opercula are slender and placed widely apart, concave on each side beyond base, but very slightly so outwardly, the apices rounded and reaching the fourth abdominal segment.

References:

  1. 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.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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