Pakidetta, Sanborn, Allen F. & Ahmed, Zubair, 2017

Sanborn, Allen F. & Ahmed, Zubair, 2017, A new genus and new species of Cicadettini (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae) from Pakistan, Zootaxa 4238 (2), pp. 293-300 : 293-294

Pakidetta n. gen.

TYPE SPECIES. Pakidetta jamshoroensis n. gen., n. sp. ( Pakistan, Lakka , Jamshoro). SPECIES INCLUDED. The only species currently known from the genus is the type species Pakidetta jamshoroensis n. gen., n. sp.

ETYMOLOGY. The generic name is a combination of Pakistan where the genus was collected and - detta in reference to the Cicadettini .

Description. Body size small (about 20 mm body length [range 19.6–22.0 mm]). Head wider than mesonotum, eyes protruding beyond anterior pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli a little longer than front, supra-antennal plate extending half the distance to the eye, postclypeus rounded in transverse section, centrally sulcate, rounded anteriorly, transverse grooves not reaching to margin, rostrum reaching the middle coxae. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum, trapezoidal with anterior margin narrower than lateral margins of pronotal collar, pronotal collar with lateral angle weakly dilated, lateral margins of pronotal collar confluent with adjoining pronotal sclerites, lateral tooth absent, Metanotum partially visible at dorsal midline, metanotum extends laterally beyond wing groove, cruciform elevation smoothly arched posteriorly. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline, with eight (seven in aberrant individuals) and six apical cells, respectively, median and cubitus anterior veins fused leaving the basal cell together from a single apex of the basal cell, costal and radius + subcostal veins close together, radius anterior 1 aligned closely with subcosta for its length, radial and radiomedial crossveins parallel, obliquely oriented to radius posterior and median veins respectively and without infuscation, fore wing pterostigma present, basal cell four times longer than broad. Hind wing with anal lobe broad, anal vein 3 curved at distal end, long, separated from wing margin, hind wing radius posterior and median veins fused at their bases, cubitus posterior and anal vein 1 unfused. Fore femora with oblique primary spine, secondary spine, and small tertiary spine, tarsi three-segmented. Male operculum covering tympanal cavity, not encapsulating meracanthus, reaching to anterior margin of sternite II, opercula well separated along midline, meracanthus tapering to a point, triangular, female operculum and meracantus of similar shape to male, opercula smaller extending medially only to lateral base of meracanthus. Abdomen longer than distance between apex of head and cruciform elevation, timbal cover lacking, timbals extend below wing bases, male abdominal tergites with sides convex in cross-section, abdominal segments with sides expanding laterally to tergite 3–4 where the abdomen begins narrowing posteriorly to the genitalia, epipleurites not reflexed to ventral surface. Pygofer with upper lobe present, small and flat, basal lobe moderately to well developed, dorsal beak present as a part of chitinized pygofer, uncus duck-bill shaped, very broad and flat, claspers large and developed, male aedeagus a simple tubular structure. Female abdominal segment 9 with dorsal beak well defined and sinuate posterior margin, ovipositor sheath extends beyond dorsal beak. Female sternite VII with triangular posterolateral margins and deep medial notch.

MEASUREMENTS (MM). Length of body: 19.6–22.0; length of fore wing: 22.7–26.0; width of fore wing: 7.8–9.4; length of head: 3.0–3.3; width of head including eyes: 6.0–7.0; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 6.5– 7.2; width of mesonotum: 5.5–6.8.

DIAGNOSIS. The following characteristics place the new genus in the Cicadettini based on Moulds (2005): head not markedly small, postclypeus rounded in transverse cross-section, postclypeus ridges lacking transverse grooves towards distal ends; pronotal collar with lateral angle weakly dilated, lateral margin confluent with adjoining pronotal sclerites, lateral tooth absent; fore wings hyaline, median and cubitus anterior veins fused leaving the basal cell together from a single apex of the basal cell, fore wing pterostigma present, costal and radius + subcostal veins close together, radius anterior 1 aligned closely with subcosta for its length; hind wing with anal lobe broad, anal vein 3 curved at distal end, long, separated from wing margin; fore leg with primary spine erect; meracanthus gradually tapering to a point, triangular; male operculum not completely encapsulating meracanthus and entirely covering tympanal cavity; male abdominal tergites with sides convex in cross-section; timbal covers absent; pygofer with upper lobe present, flat, basal lobe moderately to well developed, dorsal beak present as a part of chitinized pygofer, uncus duck-bill shaped, very broad and flat, claspers large, small aedeagus.

The epipleurites of Cicadetta Kolenati, 1857 , Cicadivetta Boulard, 1982 , Katoa Ouchi, 1938 , Kosemia Matsumura, 1927 , Linguacicada Chou & Lu, 1997 , Pauropsalta Goding & Froggatt, 1904 , and Tibeta Chou & Lu, 1997 are strongly reflexed ventrally forming an obvious groove lateral to the abdominal sternites. The length of the fused veins M and CuA is less than the length of the arculus in Tettigetta Kolenati, 1857 but greater than the length of the arculus in the new genus. The sides of the abdomen are parallel to segment 7 in Pagiphora Horváth, 1912 but begin to narrow at segment 4 in the new genus. The timbal does not extend ventrally below the wing base in Melampsalta Kolenati, 1857 but does extend below the wing base in the new genus. There are differences in the genitalia of each genus as well.

REMARKS. The new genus appears as a conglomeration of characters from the related genera. The anterior body is similar to Pagiphora while the abdomen is most similar to Tettigetta and Melampsalta . Forewing shape is similar to species of Katoa , Kosemia and Tibeta . The genitalia have some superficial resemblance to characteristics found in Tettigetta and Linguacicada .

DISTRIBUTION. The genus is currently known only from the type series of Pakidetta jamshoroensis n. gen., n. sp. collected in Jamshoro District , Pakistan.