Taphura sauliensis Boulard, 1971

SANBORN, ALLEN F, 2020, Eight new species and three new records of Neotropical cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Venezuela, Journal of Insect Biodiversity 16 (1), pp. 6-37 : 24

Taphura sauliensis Boulard, 1971 , new record

Taphura sauliensis Boulard 1971: 688 . (Saul, center of village, French Guiana)

Remarks. These specimens were obtained after the revision of the genus. The claspers of T. sauliensis bifurcate at their terminus and bent towards the midline and the basal pygofer lobes are rounded finger-like extensions. The only other known species of the genus to inhabit Venezuela is T. hastifera ( Walker, 1858a) . The transverse mark in the pronotal ambient fissure is split into three parts in T. sauliensis but is a single mark in T. hastifera and the claspers of T. hastifera are claw-like rather than bifurcating at the terminus ( Sanborn 2017a).

Distribution. The species has been recorded previously from Ecuador, French Guiana, Colombia, Peru, and Trinidad & Tobago ( Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Sanborn 2013; 2017a). These specimens fill a gap in the previously known distribution of the species.

Material examined for new record. “July 18–19, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke // 14” one male (LACM); “July 22, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke // 14” one male (LACM); “July 22, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one female (LACM); “July 27, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one male (LACM); “July 28, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one female (LACM); “July 30, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one female (LACM); “August 3, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one female (LACM); “August 6, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” two males and three females (LACM); “August 7, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one male and three females (LACM); “August 8, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one male (LACM); “August 9, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one male and one female (LACM); “August 10, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” two females (LACM); “August 11, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one female (LACM); “August 12, 1958, 140 kms / NE Barrancas. Cano / Mariusa, Orinoco Delta / Ven., Arnold Menke” one male and three females (LACM).