Popplepsalta, Owen & Moulds, 2016

Owen, Christopher L. & Moulds, Max S., 2016, Systematics and Phylogeny of the Australian Cicada Genus Pauropsalta Goding and Froggatt, 1904 and Allied Genera (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettini), Records of the Australian Museum 68 (4), pp. 117-200 : 186-187

Genus Popplepsalta n.gen.

Popplepsalta Owen et al., 2015: 259–264 , 271, 273, 274, nomen nudum.

Type species. Popplepsalta aeroides n.sp.

Included species. aeroides n.sp.; annulata (Goding & Froggatt, 1904) , n.comb.; ayrensis ( Ewart, 1989) , n.comb.; blackdownensis ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; corymbiae ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; decora ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; granitica ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; inversa ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; kobongoides ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; notialis incitata ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; notialis notialis ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; rubristrigata (Goding & Froggatt, 1904) , n.comb.; simplex ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; subtropica ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; torrensis ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.; tremula ( Popple, 2013), n.comb.

Etymology. Named after Lindsay Popple who has contributed significantly to the taxonomy and knowledge of this genus and other Australian cicadas.

Diagnosis

Head including eyes about as wide as mesonotum, sometimes a little narrower, sometimes a little wider; supra-antennal plate meeting or nearly meeting eye; postclypeus broadly rounded transversely across ventral midline, in lateral profile angulate between “top” and “sides”; postclypeus in dorsal view tending confluent with anterior margin of head and tending angular in outline when viewed from above.

Thorax. Pronotal collar width at dorsal midline much less than diameter of eyes; paranota confluent with adjoining pronotal sclerites, no mid lateral tooth; cruciform elevation with its dome wider than long; epimeral lobe not reaching operculum.

Fore leg femoral primary spine erect.

Wings. Hyaline; Fore wings with 8 apical cells; subapical cells absent; ulnar cell 3 angled to radial cell; basal cell long and narrow; costal vein (C) clearly higher than R+Sc; costa parallel-sided to node; pterostigma present; vein CuA only weakly bowed so that cubital cell no wider than medial cell; veins M and CuA completely fused as one before reaching basal cell; vein RA 1 aligned closely with Sc for its length and not diverging in subapical region; vein CuA 1 divided by crossvein m-cu so that proximal portion shortest; veins CuP and 1A fused in part; infuscation absent; wing outer margin developed for its total length, never reduced to be contiguous with ambient vein. Hind wings with 5 or 6 apical cells, except in annulata and ayrensis which have 5; infuscation at distal end of vein 2A spread on wing margin; width of 1st cubital cell at distal end at least twice that of 2nd cubital cell; anal lobe broad with vein 3A curved, long, separated from wing margin; veins RP and M fused basally.

Male opercula more or less reaching margin of tympanal cavity, directed towards distomedial margin of tympanal cavity, apically broadly rounded, clearly not meeting, clearly raised above level of tympanal cavity on its outer half or so.

Male abdomen in cross-section with sides of tergites straight or weakly convex, epipleurites reflexed ventrally from junction with tergites; tergites 2–7 all similar in size (2 and 3 not considerably larger); sternites III–VII in crosssection convex. Timbals. Timbal covers absent; timbal ribs irregular in size and spaced with prominent intermediate short ribs; basal dome very large; timbals not extended below level of wing bases.

Male genitalia. Pygofer with distal shoulders not developed; upper pygofer lobe in lateral view with basal portion of dorsal margin strongly angled to axis of pygofer; very broad basally and tapering to a broad apex. Pygofer basal lobe either as an inward facing spike or flap-like and sometimes turned inwards. Pygofer secondary basal lobe plate-like and well developed with outer face rounded, in lateral view clearly projecting and subtriangular with a broad base slightly upturned pointed apex, in ventral view long and finger-like; dorsal beak present and a part of chitinized pygofer. Uncus in dorsal view triangular and depressed along dorsal midline. Claspers with extreme basal region concave and not developed forward, in lateral view extending no more than a little beyond margin of pygofer, claw-like with minimum or no cavity below. Aedeagus with basal plate in dorsal view tending to be Y shaped, weakly depressed on dorsal midline, in lateral view undulated with basal portion directed forwards away from thecal shaft; ventral rib completely fused with basal plate; junction between theca and basal plate with a functional “hinge” that is small, substantially compressed between theca and basal plate in lateral view; thecal shaft straight or curved in a gentle arc; pseudoparameres arising independently at their base; endotheca exposed, ridged, dorsal region sclerotized less than lateral and ventral surfaces, shaft trumpet-shaped in apical region and entirely chitinized; endothecal ventral support absent; thecal subapical cerci absent; flabellum absent; conjunctival claws absent; vesica retractable, vesical opening apical on theca.

Distinguishing features

Popplepsalta can be separated from all other genera by the combination of the following: fore wing veins M and CuA with their stems meeting the basal cell completely fused as one; claspers in lateral view extending no more than a little beyond margin of pygofer, claw-like with minimum or no cavity below; uncus in dorsal view triangular and depressed along dorsal midline; endothecal shaft trumpet-shaped in apical region with apical margin in part or continuously serrated around lateral and ventral margins.