Category: W. L. Distant

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Borneo Dundubiini Genera Insectorum Orientopsaltria W. L. Distant

Orientopsaltria alticola (Distant, 1905)

Orientopsaltria alticola (Distant, 1905) is a cicada found on Borneo (Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia).

Its name changed from Cosmopsaltria alticola to Orientopsaltria alticola when it was moved from the Cosmopsaltria Stål, 1866 genus into the Orientopsaltria Kato, 1944 genus.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Orientopsaltriina
Genus: Orientopsaltria
Species: Orientopsaltria alticola (Distant, 1905)

Orientopsaltria alticola (Distant, 1905)
The image says Cosmopsaltria alticola, but the newest name for this cicada is Orientopsaltria alticola.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Borneo Champaka Dundubiini Genera Insectorum W. L. Distant

Champaka viridimaculata (Distant, 1889)

Champaka viridimaculata (Distant, 1889) is a cicada found on Borneo (Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia). Viridimaculata means green spotted in Latin — perhaps that is a reference to the green coloring in the cells of the wings near its body.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Dundubiina
Genus: Champaka
Species: Champaka viridimaculata (Distant, 1889)

Champaka viridimaculata (Distant, 1889)

Champaka genus description by W. L. Distant in Genera Insectorum, 1913:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) considerably broader than base of mesonotum, its length about equal to breadth between eyes, lateral margins of front and vertex almost obliquely in line; pronotum about as long as head, its lateral margins armed with a distinct medial spine ; mesonotum moderately tumid ; abdomen considerably longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation ; tympana covered, tympanal coverings broader than long; opercula short. just reaching basal abdominal segment, laterally oblique and thus exposing the marginal areas of the cavities rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; anterior femora strongly spined beneath ; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first considerably longer than the body and with its greatest breadth considerably less than a third of its length; apical areas eight; basal cell longer than broad.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Cacama Genera Insectorum Mexico Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) W. L. Distant

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881) is a cicada found in Mexico.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cacama
Species: Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)

Cacama maura (Distant, 1881)

Cacama genus description by W. L. Distant in Genera Insectorum, 1913:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) little more than two thirds the breadth of base of mesonotum, anteriorly depressed, its length only a little more than half the breadth between eyes; pronotum considerably shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins obliquely sinuate; mesonotum somewhat convexly gibbous; abdomen short, broad, convex above, its length equal to the space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, the lateral margins a little angulate at posterior segmental angles; tympana completely covered, lateral margins of the tympanal coverings subparallel to the abdominal margins; rostrum reaching or passing the posterior coxae ; metasternum very large; opercula about half the length of abdomen above, broad, their apical margins convexly rounded, their lateral margins almost straight; tegmina and wings (excepting base) hyaline, the first broad, their greatest width a little less than half their length, apical areas eight in number, the two lowermost small, subquadrangular.

References:

  1. The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Ayesha Borneo Dundubiini Francis Walker Genera Insectorum Indonesia Korea Philippines W. L. Distant

Ayesha serva (Walker, 1850)

Ayesha serva (Walker, 1850) is a cicada found in the Philipines and on Borneo (Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia), and Korea?

This one is interesting. Back when Distant wrote the Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. found in Genera Insectorum, 1932, there were two cicada species: Ayesha serva, found in the Philipines and Borneo, and Ayesha spathulata found in Korea. Today both species are unified under Ayesha serva. There’s a large distance between Korea and Borneo, so this makes me wonder, was A. serva actually ever in Korea, or are they two different cicadas?

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Dundubiini
SubTribe: Dundubiina
Genus: Ayesha
Species: Ayesha serva (Walker, 1850)

Ayesha serva (Walker, 1850)
The image says Ayesha spathulata, but the newer name of this cicada is Ayesha serva.

Ayesha genus description by W. L. Distant from Genera Insectorum, 1913:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) as wide or a little wider than base of mesonotum, much shorter than breadth between eyes, lateral margins obliquely continuous to face or very slightly sinuate, eyes large and oblique; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its lateral margins angulated anteriorly; mesonotum moderately convexly tumid; abdomen short, not longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings about as long as broad; rostrum reaching the intermediate coxae; opercula in male long, about twice as broad at apex as at base, inner .margins concave, widening to basal area, outer margins sinuate near centre, their apices broad overlapping;tegmina and wings hyaline, greatest width of tegmina about one third their length.

The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.

Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

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Carl Stal Genera Insectorum Philippines Psithyristria Psithyristriini W. L. Distant

Psithyristria specularis Stål, 1870

Psithyristria specularis Stål, 1870, is a cicada found in the Phillipines.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Psithyristriini
SubTribe: Psithyristriina
Genus: Psithyristria
Species: Psithyristria specularis Stål, 1870

Psithyristria specularis Stål, 1870

Psithyristria genus description by W. L. Distant from Genera Insectorum, 1914:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) considerably narrower than base of mesonotum, tympanal coverings as long as but very much narrower than the orifices, which are thus inwardly exposed; abdomen narrowed posteriorly, a little longer than the space between the apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tegmina and wings hyaline; tegmina with the venation abnormal; apical areas eight, the lower one very small; ulnar areas much compressed, broad, especially the two lowermost.
According to our present knowledge, the Psithyristriaria are confined to the Philippine Islands.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1
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Colombia Genera Insectorum W. L. Distant Zammara Zammarini

Zammara brevis (Distant, 1905)

Zammara brevis (Distant, 1905) is a cicada found in Columbia.

It was formerly known as Orellana brevis, as you can see from the image below. The Zammara and Orellana genera are very similar — both belong to the tribe Zammarini, both share pronounced pronotal collars and often green coloring.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Zammarini
Genus: Zammara
Species: Zammara brevis (Distant, 1905)

Zammara brevis (Distant, 1905)
The image says Orellana brevis, but the newest name of this cicada is Zammara brevis.

Zammara genus description by W. L. Distant from Genera Insectorum, 1914:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) about as wide as base of mesonotum, ocelli farther removed from eyes than from each other, eyes prominent but scarcely projecting beyond the anterior pronotal angles, vertex strongly depressed before base of front; face longer than broad, narrowly sulcate; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, the lateral margins angularly ampliate; mesonotum about as long as head and pronotum together; metanotum exposed; abdomen short; tympanal coverings outwardly complete, the orifices very widely exposed internally; opercula short, oblique; rostrum reaching or slightly passing the posterior coxae; tegmina usually three times as long as broad, apical areas eight; wings with six apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Borneo Cicadatrini Genera Insectorum Mogannia W. L. Distant

Mogannia binotata Distant, 1906

Mogannia binotata Distant, 1906, is a cicada found in Borneo. Its most interesting feature, that it shares with all Mogannia, is its conical shaped head.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cicadatrini
Genus: Mogannia
Species: Mogannia binotata Distant, 1906

Mogannia binotata Distant, 1906

Mogannia genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters — Body short, broad, robust; head conically produced, including eyes much narrower than base of mesonotum, as long or slightly longer than pronotum, front as long or slightly longer than vertex; pronotum narrower anteriorly than posteriorly, the lateral margins oblique, not ampliated, the posterior lateral angles a little lobately rounded; abdomen a little shorter, or almost as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings small and rudimentary; anterior femora spined beneath; opercula in male small, usually obliquely convex and not completely covering the cavities; tegmina with their basal halves usually more or less brilliantly colored, sometimes opaque, apical areas eight; wings with six apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Balinta Gaeanini Genera Insectorum W. L. Distant

Balinta auriginea Distant, 1905

Balinta auriginea Distant, 1905, from… Mis. du Ht. Song-Chai. according to the Genera Insectorum, 1914. [I don’t know where that is exactly.]

A slight name change, from the image below at least: Balinta auriginea not Balinta aurigenia.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Gaeanini
SubTribe: Gaeanina
Genus: Balinta
Species: Balinta auriginea Distant, 1905

Balinta auriginea Distant, 1905

Balinta genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) about as wide as base of mesonotum and as long as pronotum, obliquely depressed in front of eyes; pronotum about as long as mesonotum, its lateral margins sinuate, the posterior angles moderately dilated; abdomen in male much longer than space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation ; tympanal coverings both shorter and narrower than the tympanal orifices, which are most exposed inwardly; opercula in male small and transverse, widely separated, and not extending beyond base of abdomen; rostrum reaching posterior coxae ; anterior femora strongly spined beneath; tegmina and wings opaque; tegmina with their greatest breadth about one third their length and with eight apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Cuba Genera Insectorum Uhleroides W. L. Distant Zammarini

Uhleroides cubensis Distant, 1912

Uhleroides cubensis Distant, 1912 is a cicada found in Cuba.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Zammarini
Genus: Uhleroides
Species: Uhleroides cubensis Distant, 1912

Uhleroides genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head slightly shorter than pronotum, front considerably shorter than vertex, lateral margins of both nearly continuous and both centrally, longitudinally finely Silicate; ocelli a little farther apart from eyes than from each other, vertex impressed between ocelli and eyes, the latter scarcely projecting beyond the anterior pronotal angles; pronotum shorter than mesonotum. the lateral margins moderately ampliate but not angulate; mesonotum shorter than head and pronotum together; abdomen about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings globose and projecting beyond the lateral margins of the abdomen, outwardly complete, the orifices only exposed inwardly; opercula not extending beyond base of abdomen, lateral and apically rounded, not meeting internally; rostrum reaching the posterior coxae; face longer than broad, lateral margins a little sinuate near base, finely centrally sulcate on posterior half, strongly transverse^ striate, the lateral margins a little broadly reflexed; tegmina three times as long as broad, hyaline, eight apical areas, basal eel! longer than broad; wings about half as long as tegmina, six apical areas; anterior femora armed with two spines beneath.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
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Fidicinini Genera Insectorum Mexico Ollanta W. L. Distant

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905, is a cicada found in Mexico.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
SubTribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Ollanta
Species: Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta mexicana Distant, 1905

Ollanta genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) broader than base of mesonotum, eyes projecting beyond anterior angles of pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli about or almost as long as the front; pronotum shorter than mesonotum, its posterior angles labately produced, its lateral margins obliquely narrowed anteriorly, very slightly sinuate; mesonotum moderately convex; abdomen short, about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation, tympanal coverings large, their apices subacute, anteriorly but not interiorly covering cavities; rostrum reaching posterior coxae; opercula small, transverse, only about reaching base of abdomen; face moderately globose; tegmina and wings hyaline, the first with eight apical areas.

References:

  1. The illustration and description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).