Taphurini Distant, 1905

Moulds, MS, 2005, An Appraisal of the Higher Classification of Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea) with Special Reference to the Australian Fauna, Records of the Australian Museum 57 (3), pp. 375-446 : 437

Tribe Taphurini Distant, 1905

Taphuraria Distant, 1905e: 25 .

Lemuriaria Moulton, 1923: 78 .

Eaphurarini [sic] Lallemand, 1925: 2.

Taphurini Kato, 1932: 171 .

Type genus. Taphura Distant (type species T. misella Stål ).

Included genera. Abricta Stål , Abroma Stål , Aleeta Moulds , Chrysocicada Boulard , Dorachosa Distant , Dulderana Distant , Elachysoma Torres , Hea Distant , Hylora Boulard , Imbabura Distant , Kanakia Distant , Lemuriana Distant , Ligymolpa Karsch , Magicicada Davis , Malagasia Distant , Malgachialna Boulard , Monomatapa Distant , Musimoia China, Nelcyndana Distant , Neomuda Distant , Nosola Stål , Oudeboschia Distant , Panka Distant , Prosotettix Jacobi , Psallodia Uhler , Selymbria Stål , Taphura Stål , Trismarcha Karsch , Tryella Moulds , Ueana Distant , Viettealna Boulard ; a new genus represented by Abricta occidentalis .

Note that Magicicada was previously attributed to the Tibicinini and Chrysocicada to the Parnisini .

Diagnosis. Head with supra-antennal plate meeting or nearly meeting eye (except in Aleeta and Tryella ). Postclypeus shape in transverse cross-section rounded; postclypeal ridges lacking transverse grooves towards distal ends. Pronotal collar with lateral margin weakly ampliate or confluent with adjoining pronotal sclerites; lateral tooth absent (except in Magicicada ). Fore wing pterostigma present; veins C and R+Sc close together; vein RA 1 aligned closely with subcosta (Sc) for its length. Hind wing with anal lobe broad and vein 3A usually curved at distal end, long, separated from wing margin. Fore leg femoral primary spine erect. Meracanthus gradually tapering to a point, triangular or nearly so. Male opercula not completely encapsulating meracanthus, partly or entirely covering tympanal cavity but never extending beyond midlength of abdomen. Male abdominal tergites with sides straight or convex in cross-section; tergites 2 and 3 similar in size to tergites 4–7; epipleurites reflexed to ventral surface (except in Magicicada ), without an inward V-shaped kink. Timbals extend below wing bases. Pygofer with upper lobe either present or absent, flat; pygofer basal lobe moderately to well developed; dorsal beak a part of chitinized pygofer. Uncus absent. Claspers large, dominating the whole 10th abdominal segment, often widely separated.Aedeagus with basal portion basal plate directed forwards away from thecal shaft; ventral rib rod-like, suspended with attachment only at ends; theca either recurved basally through 140° or lacking a pronounced basal recurve; pseudoparameres absent; subapical cerci absent. Male reproductive system with accessory glands long in Aleeta , otherwise unknown. Female reproductive system with accessory glands of common oviduct long in Aleeta , otherwise unknown.

Distinguishing characters. Males differ from other members of the subfamily Cicadettinae by having the aedeagal basal plate with the ventral rib rod-like, suspended with attachments only at ends. The claspers are widely separated except in Abricta occidentalis that represents a new genus. Males can be distinguished from those of the Cicadettini by having the timbals not extending below the level of the wing bases, and the timbal ribs are long and closely spaced and at least 5 in number. Females differ from the Chlorocystini and Prasiini by having the head broader than the maximum width of the pronotum. Females cannot be distinguished from those of the Cicadettini in which the fore wing veins M and CuA meet the basal cell separated.

Discussion. Attributes previously defining the Taphurini still apply but are insufficient for unique characterization. Differences between the type genus from South America (and its allies) and other Taphurini are considered sufficiently distinct to warrant division of the tribe into two subtribes.

The nominotypical subtribe Taphurina Distant has no Australian representative. Included genera are Dorachosa Distant , Dulderana Distant , Elachysoma Torres , Imbabura Distant , Nosola Stål , Prosotettix Jacobi , Selymbria Stål and Taphura Stål , although some genera allocated here may be incorrectly placed as it was not possible to examine examples of all genera. The diagnostic features of the subtribe Taphurina are as follows: Male aedeagus lacks a strong basal recurve of the theca and the upper pygofer lobe is absent; the male opercula curve towards abdominal midline but are very small, narrow, and remain widely separated and far from the distal margins of the tympanal cavities.