Orientafroinsularis pulverulenta ( Distant, 1905b ) Sanborn, 2021

Sanborn, Allen F., 2021, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) of Madagascar including a new tribe, five new genera, twelve new species, four new species synonymies, five revised species status, ten new combinations, new tribal assignments for four genera, one new subtribe synonymy, a checklist and key to the species, Zootaxa 4937 (1), pp. 1-79 : 26

Orientafroinsularis pulverulenta ( Distant, 1905b) n. comb.

Cicada pulverulenta Distant 1905b: 199 . ( Madagascar and Seychelles)

Antankaria pulverulenta madagassa Boulard 1999: 95 . (Western Madagascar) n. syn.

Chremistica pulverulenta madagascariensis Boulard 2001: 130 . ( Madagascar) n. syn.

Remarks.—As outlined above, the subspecies Antankaria pulverulenta madagassa and Chremistica pulverulenta madagascariensis are considered to be the nominotypical taxon Orientafroinsularis pulverulenta n. comb. since Boulard (2001) specifically redescribed Distant’s species and the portion of the song illustrated in Boulard (1999) is similar to that illustrated at the end of the call in Boulard (2001). The synonymy or elevation to species rank of all subspecies means the trinomial designation is no longer necessary.

The smallest species of the genus with a body length of 20–22 mm and a wingspan of 55–58 mm ( Distant 1905b; Boulard 2001; specimens in hand). A tawny species marked with testaceous and a small amount of piceous. The initial song with begins as a series of short syllables followed by a period of rapidly produced syllables of increasing intensity followed by a period of various amplitude modulation becoming separated into individual syllables with peak energy about 11 kHz ( Boulard 2001).

Distribution.—The species has been reported from Madagascar and several islands in the Seychelles ( Metcalf 1963a; Sanborn 2103) but the references to the Seychelles are considered to be references to Orientafroinsularis seychellensis ( Boulard, 1999) n. comb., rev. stat. Jacobi (1917) reported the species from Tulear, southwestern Madagascar and Kinkoni-See, northwestern, Madagascar. Boulard (2001) reports the species from Morondavar to Mahabo, Diego Suarez, Joffreville, Manambina, Miandrivazo, the forest of Kirindy, Antsohihy, and around Lake Konanamby.

Material examined.—“ Madagascar: Toliara Prov. / Forêt de Kirindy, 15.5 km 64º / ENE Marofandilia, elev 100m / 20º 2’ 42”S 44º 39’ 44” E / 28 Nov.—3 Dec. 2001 // coll: Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / at light—in tropical dry forest / collection code: BLF4603 // CASENT / 3004663” one female ( AFSC) “ Madagascar: Mahajanga / Prov. Forêt de Tsimembo , / 8.7 km 330º NNW Soatana / elev 20m 21–25 Nov. 2001 / 19º 1’ 17”S 44º 26’ 26” E // coll: Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / at light—in tropical dry forest / collection code: BLF4512 // CASENT / 3004683” one male ( AFSC) .