Cicadettinae Buckton, 1890

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, Redescription of Carinetini Distant, 1905 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae) including a key to the genera, three new species, two new combinations, a new record and comments on the taxonomic position of the genus Paranistria Metcalf, 1952, Journal of Insect Biodiversity 59 (1), pp. 11-32 : 12

Subfamily Cicadettinae Buckton, 1890

Cicadetta Buckton 1890: xxxiv. (Listed as Sub-Family in synoptic tree)

Type genus. Cicada (Cicadetta) Kolenati 1857: 417 .

Remarks. All three specimens of the proposed new species have a metanotum that is partially visible at the dorsal midline, the fore wing cubitus posterior and anal vein 1 are partially fused, the hindwing radius posterior and median veins are fused at their bases, the distal end of the hindwing cubital cell 1 is wider than the distal end of cubital cell 2, male opercula are not distinctive S-shape with a deeply concave lateral margin, the timbal cavity lacks a timbal cover, there is an undeveloped distal shoulder on the pygofer, a pygofer upper lobe is present, the uncus is absent, claspers are present and well developed, the aedeagus is restrain by claspers, and there are no lateral lobes at the thecal apex. These are all characteristic features of the subfamily Cicadettinae (Marshall et al. 2018; Sanborn et al. 2020).

The structures of the genitalia in several Cicadettinae tribes and genera have been confused historically (see discussion in Sanborn et al. 2020) leading to confusion in the assignment of species to higher taxa. The uncus is a posterior extension originating from the median portion of the anal tube and supports the theca below it (see Figs. 14, 15, 22 and 23 in Moulds 2005 and Fig. 10 in Marshall et al. 2018). In contrast, the claspers are paired structures which independently originate laterally to where an uncus would originate and encircle or supports the theca between them (see Figs. 16, 17, 19 and 20 in Moulds 2005 and Figs. 11 and 12 in Marshall et al. 2018). Although some species of Carineta and Dorachosa appear to have an uncus, there is a longitudinal suture on the midline of any posterior extension beyond the anal tube (as in the new species identified here) and the structures originate beneath and lateral to the anal tube. This supports the interpretation that these posterior extensions are formed from the claspers approaching one another from the sides rather than being formed as a single posterior extension which forms an uncus. Claspers reach varying lengths towards the midline in different species with many showing a clear separation between the claspers where an uncus would be found (e.g. Fig. 11 of Carineta diardi (Guérin-Méneville, 1829) in Marshall et al. 2018; Sanborn 2020a, b, c, d, e). The uncus-like structure may also be separated from the posterior anal tube and there is always a suture between two components if there is an extension beyond the anal tube. For these reasons, the genera of Carinetini are considered to possess claspers and lack an uncus.