Subfamily Cicadettinae Buckton, 1889, new status
Tibicinae sensu Buckton, 1889: 270.
Tibicininae sensu Distant, 1905b: 304.
Tibicinidae sensu Metcalf, 1939: 247 .
The family-group name based upon Tibicina can no longer be applied to this subfamily as Tibicina now resides in the Tettigadinae . The oldest available family-group name associated with the genera now included is that based upon Cicadetta .
Type genus. Cicadetta Amyot (type species: Cicada montana Scopoli).
Included tribes. Carinetini Distant, Chlorocystini Distant, Cicadettini Buckton, Dazini Kato, Hemidictyini Distant, Huechysini Distant, Lamotialnini Boulard, Parnisini Distant, Prasiini Matsumura, Sinosenini Boulard, Taphurini Distant, Tettigomyiini Distant, Ydiellini Boulard n.stat. .
Diagnosis. Metanotum partly visible at dorsal midline. Fore wing veins CuP and 1A fused in part. Hind wing 1st cubital cell width at distal end much greater than 2nd cubital cell (twice or more); hind wing veins RP and M fused at base. Rim of male timbal cavity lacking a turned-back rim or timbal cover. Pygofer with distal shoulder undeveloped; pygofer upper lobe present. Claspers large, dominating the whole 10th abdominal segment. Uncus duck-bill shaped, small and flat. Aedeagus without ventrobasal pocket; aedeagus restrained by large claspers. Apical part of theca without leaf-like lateral lobes.
Distinguishing characters. Male genitalia with claspers large, dominating the whole 10th abdominal segment.
Discussion. The previously identified attribute for this subfamily, male abdominal timbal covers absent, remains applicable (Distant, 1905b; Kato, 1954; Boulard, 1976a; Hayashi, 1984; Moulds, 1990; Chou et al., 1997). It is, however, insufficient alone to define the subfamily; timbal covers are also absent in the Tettigadinae .