Chrysolasia guatemalena ( Distant, 1883 ) Moulds, 2003

Moulds, M. S., 2003, An Appraisal of the Cicadas of the Genus Abricta Stål and Allied Genera (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae), Records of the Australian Museum 55, pp. 245-304 : 262-263

Chrysolasia guatemalena ( Distant, 1883) , n.comb.

Figs. 21, 35, 36, 51

Tibicen guatemalenus Distant, 1883: 18 , pl. 2.

Tibicen guatemalanus [sic].– Distant, 1892b: 64.

Abricta guatemalena .– Distant, 1906: 131.

Type. Syntype 3, bearing five labels: (a) “Purula,/Vera Paz./ Champion.” machine printed; (b) Tibicen / guatemalenus / Dist” in india ink probably in Distant’s handwriting; (c) “ B.C.A.Homopt. I./ Tibicen / guatemalenus ,/Dist.” machine printed; (d) “Type”, machine printed on circular white label with red border; (e) “SYN-/ TYPE ” machine printed on circular white label with blue border (examined). ( BMNH) .

The original description by Distant (1883) suggests that there was probably only a single specimen available to him but this was not explicitly stated. While it is possible that he only had the one specimen listed above, following Recommendation 73F of the Code the specimen is retained as a syntype.

Type locality. Purula, Vera Paz, [? = Purulhá, Guatemala]. Distant (1883) described this species in a review of South American cicadas, recording it as coming from Guatemala. In fact he was so certain that it came from Guatemala he named it guatemalenus . However, the apparent absence of other related species within the Neotropics (and a lack of subsequent records) casts suspicion upon the accuracy of the type’s label data and/or its interpretation. Purulia is a town in northern India and this locality would fit much better in the distribution patterns of the Abricta complex of genera. Nevertheless, a South American origin for this species cannot be dismissed and therefore Purula, Guatemala, is here accepted as the type’s origin.

Material examined. Type male detailed above (the only known specimen).

Description

Male ( Figs. 21, 35, 36, 51). Head. Nearly black with supraantennal plates tending muddy yellow, a small muddy yellow spot on dorsal midline against posterior margin. Postclypeus muddy pale yellow. Anteclypeus black tending brown. Rostrum muddy yellow tending black towards apex, passing just beyond bases of hind coxae. Head with silver pubescence, mainly confined to lora. Thorax. Pronotum dark ferruginous; a broad black fascia on dorsal midline spreading laterally at its posterior end against pronotal collar, this fascia internally brown along midline; pronotal collar dark ferruginous. Mesonotum dark ferruginous brown with a large black mark anterior of cruciform elevation and a black fascia laterally against wing groove; cruciform elevation dark ferruginous. Thorax below muddy yellow with silver pubescence. Wings. Hyaline with a faint brownish tint. Fore wing basal cell distinctly brown; venation and costa brown; basal membrane orange brown. Hind wing plaga brown, broad along vein 3A to near its distal end and along inner margin, very narrow plaga along vein 2A to its distal end; venation brown. Legs. Light yellowish brown without obvious markings; bearing very fine silver pubescence. Opercula. Pale yellow-brown; somewhat tear-drop in shape, extending just beyond tympanal cavities to conceal tympana completely, laterally confluent with abdominal margin, very nearly meeting; bearing fine silver pubescence. Abdomen. Tergites black except for brown lateral region to tergite 2. Sternites brown with posterior margins pale, sternites VII and VIII mostly pale. Abdomen above and below with golden pubescence. Tymbals ( Fig. 21). As for generic description. Genitalia ( Figs. 35, 36). Pygofer nearly black; upper pygofer lobe in lateral view small, broad at base and tapering to a blunt, off-centre point, in ventral view tilted inwards and tapering to a blunt point; basal lobes in lateral view small and tapering to a rounded apex and nearly equal in length to upper lobes, secondary basal lobes in lateral view small and sharply pointed. Uncal lobes terminating in a thick-set downturned lobe with apex bluntly pointed, in ventral vein gently incurved. Conjunctival claws claw-like, long, strongly recurved in dorsal view.

Female. Unknown.

Measurements. n = 13 (the only available specimen). Length of body: 21.7. Length of fore wing: 27.3. Width of head: 7.7. Width of pronotum: 12.9.

Distribution. Known only from the male type, reputedly from Guatemala.