Platypleura spicata Distant, 1905b

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 : 7

Platypleura spicata Distant, 1905b

Platypleura spicata Distant 1905b: 192 . (Majunga and Pays Mahafaly, Madagascar)

Remarks.—The species is unique in the spine-like extensions of the lateral pronotal collar. The tawny body with white and gray maculation in the fore wing veins also distinguish the species.

Distribution.—The species is only known from Madagascar ( Metcalf 1963a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985). Distant (1905b) reported the species from Majunga and Pays Mahafaly. Jacobi (1917) reported the species from Tulear, southwestern Madagascar, Majunga, northwestern Madagascar, and Pays Mahafaly, southwest Madagascar.

Material examined.—“ MADAGASCAR: Mahajanga / Province, Parc National de / Bale de Baly, 12.4 km 337º / NNW Soalala, elev. 10m / 26–30 Nov 2002 // 16º 00’ 36” S 045º 15’ 54” E / coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / collected at light, tropical dry / forest coll. Code: BLF6816 // CASENT / 3007867” one female ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov. / Parc National de Kirindy Mite, / 16.3 km 127º SE Belo sur Mer / 20º 47’ 43” S 44º 8’ 49” E / Elev 80m 6–10 Dec 2001 // coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / collected at light, tropical dry / forest coll. Code: BLF4727 // CASENT / 3004773” one female ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov. / Parc National de Kirindy Mite, / 16.3 km 127º SE Belo sur Mer / 20º 47’ 43” S 44º 8’ 49” E / Elev 80m 6–10 Dec 2001 // coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / collected at light, tropical dry / forest coll. Code: BLF4727 // CASENT / 3004774” one male ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear Prov. / Ifaty ; 18 km N of Tulear / in spiny forest, 20 m elev. / 23.1885º S 43.6239º E / M.E. Irwin and E.I. Schlinger / MEI.99-MA-15 13–XII–1999 // CASENT / 3002746” one female ( AFSC) .