Proarna invaria ( Walker, 1850 )

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, The cicada (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) fauna of the Lesser Antilles sensu lato with the description of two new species, two new combinations, and a key to species, Zootaxa 5497 (1), pp. 33-69 : 43-44

Proarna invaria ( Walker, 1850)

Cicada grisea Germar 1830: 40 . (South America).

Cicada invaria Walker 1850: 151 . (South America)

Cicada dexithea Walker 1850: 158 . (Unknown collection locality)

Cicada fulvoviridis Walker 1858a: 23 . (Villa Nova)

Cicada ovatipennis Walker 1858b: 13 . ( Colombia)

Proarna germari Distant 1905a nom. nov. pro Cicada grisea Germar, 1830 nec Tettigonia grisea Fabricius, 1775: 140 . ( Colombia).

Proarna invaria Sanborn 2013: 197 .

Remarks. Sanborn (2018) reviewed the synonymies and the status of the species. The species was mistakenly listed as being part of the cicada fauna of Trinidad & Tobago in Sanborn (2013) during compilation of the catalogue.

Diagnosis. This is the other small species of Proarna from the Lesser Antilles with body lengths of 17.5–19.6 mm and fore wing lengths of 23.8–27.6 mm. Proarna olivieri and Proarna squamigera can be distinguished by their larger body and fore wing lengths. Proarna hilaris can be distinguished by the fore wing costal margin that is straight to the node rather than curving, the mesonotum width greather than 6.5 mm the male timbal cover that is curved on the apex, male opercula that are separated medially by abdominal sternite I, and there is a transverse section on the posterior female abdominal sternite VII between the notch and posterolateral curvature in this species not found in Proarna invaria .

Distribution. The species has been recorded from the Antilles, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, French Antilles, French Guiana, Guyana, Honduras, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela ( Metcalf 1963a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Boulard 2001; Sanborn 2011a; 2013; 2014; 2018; 2020a, b; 2023a). The reference to St. Vincent is Boulard (2001) is considered Proarna squamigera and is not included in the distribution. Similarly, the reference to Trinidad has been shown to be erroneous ( Sanborn 2020a).

As outlined above, the reference by Boulard (2001) to the species found in the French Antilles appears to be erroneous. He states Proarna invaria originates from St. Vincent and Proarna squamigera was collected in Guadeloupe and Martinique. It appears he mixed-up the two species so that Proarna invaria was meant to have been recorded from Guadeloupe and Martinique while Proarana squamigera originated in St. Vincent (where all other published reports and observed specimens originated). Unfortunately, there were no examples of the species available from the islands so that the distribution could not be verified. As this is the only reference to the species in the Lesser Antilles, the species is tentatively retained as part of the fauna but may represent a misidentification.