Muraoides, Sanborn, 2018

Sanborn, Allen F., 2018, Two new genera and two new species of cicadas from Central America (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae), Zootaxa 4418 (2), pp. 149-160 : 155-156

Genus Muraoides n. gen.

Type species. Muraoides costaricensis n. gen., n. sp. ( Golfito , Parque Nacional Piedras Blancas , Camino San Josecito, 2 Km South of Finca Río Bonito, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica).

Species included. The genus is represented currently by the type species Muraoides costaricensis n. gen., n. sp.

Etymology. The name is a combination of the related genus name Mura Distant, 1905c and –oides (Gr. like, resembling, having the form of). The genus is feminine.

Description. Small to medium sized cicada (about 20 mm body length). Head wider than mesonotum, eyes protruding beyond anterior pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli as long as frons, postclypeus slightly expanded ventrally, flattened ventrolaterally, with central carina, rounded anteriorly, rostrum generally reaching to abdominal sternite I. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum, trapezoidal with anterior margin narrower than lateral margins of pronotal collar, lateral margin of pronotal collar adpressed, mesonotum covering dorsal metanotum, metanotum extends laterally beyond wing groove, cruciform elevation smoothly arched posteriorly. Metasternum transverse central plate slightly elevated, not angularly produced anteriorly. Fore wings and hind wings hyaline, with eight and six apical cells, respectively, radial and radiomedial crossveins not parallel, radial crossvein straight, oriented perpendicularly to radius anterior 2, radiomedial crossvein curved, oriented obliquely to radius posterior vein, crossveins and distal veins between apical cells infuscated. Basal cell longer than broad, clouded. Fore femora with elongated, oblique primary spine, upright, triangular secondary spine, and a very small tertiary spine, tarsi threesegmented. Male operculum triangular covering the tympanal cavity, reaching to middle of sternite II, opercula well separated along midline, meracanthus tapering to a point, reaching to middle of operculum. Abdomen longer than distance between apex of head and posterior of cruciform elevation. Abdominal segments with sides expanding laterally to tergite 4 where the abdomen begins narrowing posteriorly to the genitalia, epipleurites folded toward dorsal surface medially producing a channel on the lateral margins of the abdomen, male sternites II–VII translucent. Timbal cover reduced, recurved posteriorly forming a ridge along the posterior timbal cavity, timbal completely exposed extending below wing bases, tympana concealed by opercula except for medial apex. Male sternite VIII semicircular when viewed from posterior. Pygofer distal shoulder rounded, dorsal beak arching, pygofer basal lobe indistinct, pygofer upper lobe elongated, flattened, adpressed against pygofer except for tip, median uncus lobe short with curved posterior, surrounded by lateral uncus lobes that form an approximate right angle when viewed from the side, ventral margin recurved forming a point on lateral terminus, a notch on midline at posterior terminus, male aedeagus a simple tubular structure.

Measurements (mm). Length of body: 20.5; length of fore wing: 26.5; width of fore wing: 8.2; length of head: 2.9; width of head including eyes: 6.4; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 6.9; width of mesonotum: 6.0.

Diagnosis. The dorsal mesothorax concealing the dorsal metanotum, the cubitus posterior + anal vein 1 in the fore wings being fused in part, the reduced timbal cover, the pygofer with a well-developed, rounded distal shoulder, the well-developed uncus and retractable all place the new genus within the Cicadinae ( Moulds 2005) . There are seven tribes of the Cicadinae that are currently recognized in the New World in which the new genus could be classified ( Sanborn 2013).

The small, recurved timbal covers of the new genus and absence of ampliated lateral pronotal margins eliminate the Zammarini , Plautillini and Cryptotympanini Handlirsch, 1925 as possible tribal assignments for the new genus. The Fidicinini Distant, 1905d can be distinguished by the timbal covers which extend anteriorly and cover part of the timbal, the trapezoidal pronotum, and the distinctly elevated metasternum in the genera of the Fidicinini . The Neotropical Cicadini Latreille, 1802 are represented by members of the genus Neocicada Kato, 1932 which can be distinguished by the translucent abdomen of the males, their uniformly elongate, narrow bodies, parallel radial and radiomedial crossveins, parallel medial and mediocubital crossveins, and broadly rounded timbal covers (Sanborn et al. 2005). The Neotropical Cicadatrini Distant, 1905d are represented by the species of the genus Pachypsaltria Stäl, 1863 which can be distinguished by the anteriorly rounded timbal covers, the head being not as wide as the mesonotum, the fore femora lacking spines, the body is ovoid, and the abdomen length being shorter than the length of the head and mesonotum. The oblique lateral pronotal margins, a broad abdomen with a dorsal ridge, a timbal cover that is small and recurved along part of its length, the widely separated and short opercula, the slightly elevated metasternum, and the fore femora bearing two prominent and potentially a minute apical spine ( Distant 1905b, Sanborn and Heath 2012) support placement of the new genus in the Hyantiini , the remaining Neotropical tribe of Cicadinae .

Within the Hyantiini , Muraoides n. gen. can be distinguished Quesada Distant, 1905b and Hyantia Stäl, 1866 by the much larger body sizes of species in these genera (body lengths greater than 30 mm), the timbal cover is recurved for only part of its length and has a triangular anterior extension, the basal cell of the fore wing is only slightly longer than broad, the abdomen is about as long as the distance between the anterior head and posterior cruciform elevation, and the pygofer angles medially towards the distal terminus in these genera. The single species of the Panamanian genus Mura Distant 1905c can be distinguished by the frons being half the length of the vertex rather than being about the length of the vertex, the lateral pronotal margins are adpressed so they are not visible from the dorsal side rather than being visible from the dorsal side, the radial and radiomedial crossveins are parallel, the mediocubital crossvein is perpendicular to cubitus anterior 2 rather than obliquely oriented, the presence of two spines on the fore femora rather than three spines, the opercula with a smoothly rounded lateral and posterior margin rather than a roughly triangular operculum, and the lateral margins of the anterior abdominal segments are parallel and lack of lateral expansion of abdominal segment 4 found as found in the new genus.

Distribution. The genus is known currently only from Costa Rica.