Duffelsa, Wang & Jiang & Wei, 2023

Wang, Jiali, Jiang, Jinyuan & Wei, Cong, 2023, A new genus, Duffelsa gen. n., with descriptions of three new species and one new combination (Hemiptera: Cicadidae), Zootaxa 5323 (3), pp. 396-408 : 397-398

Duffelsa gen. n.

Type species. Tettigia orientalis Distant, 1912 , by present designation.

Etymology. The genus name is dedicated to Dr. Joannes Petrus Duffels, a distinguished cicadologist passed away on May 3rd, 2023, in recognition of his significant contributions to cicadology. The gender is feminine.

Diagnosis. Medium to large cicadas. Head including eyes as wide as or slightly wider than the base of mesonotum. Postclypeus moderately prominent with symmetrical series of transverse fuscous lines on underside. Pronotum much longer than head and distinctly shorter than mesonotum excluding cruciform elevation, lateral part of pronotal collar dentate. Mesonotum usually with the following black markings: medial longitudinal arrow-shaped fascia reaching anterior margin of cruciform elevation, inwardly curved fascia along each parapsidal suture, paired small spots on scutal depressions, paired markings on anterior angles of cruciform elevation. Wings hyaline with eight and six apical cells on forewing and hindwing, respectively; forewing with longitudinal fuscous markings at apical cells, and apices of longitudinal veins of apical cells of forewing with small brown spots; hindwing has no markings. Male abdomen distinctly longer than distance from head to cruciform elevation; timbal mostly concealed by timbal cover; opercula widely separated and longer than wide, extending beyond posterior margin of abdominal sternite II; abdominal sternite III with slightly-raised tubercle-like projections. Pygofer with dorsal beak and distal shoulder; upper lobes of pygofer absent; basal lobes of pygofer present; median lobe of uncus bifurcated.

Remarks. Lee (2008) stated that Duffelsa orientalis comb. n., the type species of this new genus, is allied to Pomponia picta and P. linearis . However, we recognize that Duffelsa orientalis comb. n. and the other three new species of Duffelsa gen. n. can be distinguished from Pomponia species by the shape of the opercula (which are nearly triangular, widely separated and longer than wide, instead of semicircular, nearly touching and wider than long), paired slightly-raised tubercle-like projections on centrolateral surface of abdominal sternite III, and the uncus with median lobe bifurcated sub-basally (uncus diverges into two uncus lobes basally in Pomponia ).

Duffelsa gen. n is similar to Aetanna Lee, 2014 of Leptopsaltriina due to the following characteristics: abdominal sternite III with paired slightly-raised tubercle-like projections, basal lobes of pygofer small, substantially confluent with pygofer margin, and median lobe of uncus bifurcated sub-basally. But it can be distinguished from the later by the lateral part of pronotal collar dentate and the opercula extending beyond posterior margin of abdominal sternite II. This new genus is also similar to genera of Leptosemiina due to the head including eyes about as wide as mesonotum, forewing with marginal areas narrow or normal, timbal cover scale-like, opercula widely separated, upper lobes of pygofer absent and basal lobes of pygofer present, but can be distinguished from them due to the lateral part of pronotal collar being dentate, the opercula longer than wide and median lobe of uncus bifurcated sub-basally. Duffelsa gen. n. is erected in the tribe Leptopsaltriini without subtribe assignment, because Duffelsa gen. n. allied to the genera of both Leptopsaltriina and Leptosemiina and the tribes and subtribes of Leptopsaltriini require revision.