Ariasa Distant, 1905

Sanborn, Allen F., 2016, Generic redescription, two new species, and a key to the species of the cicada genus Ariasa Distant, 1905 with the description of a new genus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Fidicinini), Zootaxa 4137 (4), pp. 501-519 : 502-514

Genus Ariasa Distant, 1905

Type species. Tympanoterpes colombiae Distant 1892: 60 ( Colombia) .

Species included. The genus is represented currently by the following 14 species: A. albimaculosa n. sp., A. albiplica ( Walker, 1858) , A. alboapicata ( Distant, 1905) , A. arechavaletae ( Berg, 1884) , A. bartletti n. sp., A. bilaqueata ( Uhler, 1903) , A. colombiae ( Distant, 1892) , A. diupsilon ( Walker, 1850) , A. egregia ( Uhler, 1903) , A. maryannae Sanborn, 2016 , A. nigrorufa ( Walker, 1850) , A. nigrovittata Distant, 1905 , A. russelli Sanborn, 2016 , and A. urens ( Walker, 1852) . The six species listed in the genus by Pogue (1996) are not included as they are only described numerically as part of a diversity study and many are probably representatives of other genera since the first specific Ariasa species reported from Peru are listed below ( Metcalf 1963; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Sanborn 2013).

Excluded species. Cracenpsaltria brasiliorum ( Kirkaldy, 1909) rev. stat., n. comb. does not belong to the genus as described below.

Description. Body size variable (19–36 mm body length). Head wider than mesonotum, eyes protruding beyond anterior pronotum, vertex at area of ocelli as long as or a little shorter than front, postclypeus globose, centrally sulcate, rounded or transverse anteriorly, rostrum generally reaching the hind coxae or hind trochanters, extending to abdominal sternites in the occasional specimen. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum, trapezoidal with anterior margin narrower than lateral margins of pronotal collar, lateral angles of pronotal collar expanded, metanotum extends laterally beyond wing groove, cruciform elevation smoothly arched posteriorly. Metasternum transverse central plate moderately elevated, not angularly produced anteriorly. Fore wings and hind wings generally hyaline, with eight and six apical cells, respectively, radial and radiomedial crossveins generally parallel, obliquely oriented to radius posterior and median veins respectively and without infuscation. Basal cell longer than broad with variable markings. Basal area of fore wing clavus and hind wing costal cell may be infuscated. Fore femora with oblique primary spine, upright secondary spine, and a small tertiary spine, tarsi three-segmented. Male operculum triangular not covering the tympanal cavity completely laterally or posteromedially, nor medially in some species, almost or reaching to sternite II, opercula well separated along midline, meracanthus tapering to a point, reaching to or passing posterior margin of operculum, female operculum and meracantus generally of similar shape to male for each species, opercula smaller extending medially only to lateral base of meracanthus. Abdomen about as long as distance between apex of head and posterior of cruciform elevation. Abdominal segments with sides expanding laterally to tergite 4 where the abdomen begins narrowing posteriorly to the genitalia, epipleurites folded toward dorsal surface producing a channel on the lateral margins of the abdomen, posterior sternites translucent in males of some species. Female sternite VII with sinuate or straight posterior margin and medial notch. Timbal cover incomplete, with rounded anterior apex, concealing only the lateral aspect of the timbal, timbal cover with concave anteromedial margin that can curve toward apex or produce approximate parallel dorsal and ventral margins to anterior of extension above the lateral timbal before reaching the rounded apex, ventral margin is parallel to long body axis, timbals extend below wing bases. Pygofer distal shoulder rounded, dorsal beak absent, pygofer basal lobe indistinct, pygofer upper lobe large and generally well separated from pygofer, paddle-like often twisting towards apex, median uncus lobe extending posteriorly, lateral uncus lobes curve under median uncus lobes forming an arch when viewed from the side and restraining aedeagus, and male aedeagus a simple tubular structure with a membranous region near the terminus . Female abdominal segment 9 with dorsal beak well defined and sinuate posterior margin, ovipositor sheath extends beyond dorsal beak.

Measurements (MM). Length of body: 19–36; length of fore wing: 27–46; width of fore wing: 7.7–13.1; length of head: 1.7–5.7; width of head including eyes: 7.5–13.6; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 7.6–13.6; width of mesonotum: 6.5–11.3.

Diagnosis. Within the Fidicinini , Ariasa can be distinguished from the three genera ( Fidicina Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 , Fidicinoides Boulard & Martinelli, 1996 , and Berglana Boulard & Martinelli, 1996) of the Fidicinina by the presence of three-part tarsi. Hemisciera Amyot & Audinet-Serville, 1843 is simply distinguished from all other Fidicinini by the bright green basal area of the fore wings and bright red on the basal area of the hind wings. The adpressed pronotal margins, non-parallel radial and radiomedial crossveins, relatively small eyes, small anterolaterally extended timbal covers, and the sternite separating the male opercula distinguish the members of Beameria Davis, 1934 . Majeorona Distant, 1905 , has a head width wider than the mesonotum, with the prominent eyes stylate and extended anteriorly. The genera Proarna Stål, 1864 , Prasinosoma Torres, 1963 , Tympanoterpes Stål, 1861 , all possess a head that is about as wide as the mesonotum with the eyes barely or not extending beyond the anterior angle of the pronotum, radial crossvein vertically oriented to the radius anterior 2 and radius posterior veins with a radiomedial crossvein that is obliquely oriented, large semicircular male opercula, and triangular or small, curved timbal covers. The single species of Elassoneura Torres, 1964 shares most of the characters in these genera but the head is wider than the mesonotum and there is significant infuscation along the majority of the fore wing venation. The single species of the genus Pompanonia Boulard, 1982 can be distinguished by a head that is wider than the mesonotum, the radial crossvein vertically oriented to the radius anterior 2 and radius posterior veins with a radiomedial crossvein that is obliquely oriented, semicircular male opercula, triangular timbal covers, and the very wide base of the abdomen with conspicuous timbals. Guyalna Boulard & Martinelli, 1996 can be distinguished by the head being as wide or slightly wider than the mesonotum, eyes that only protrude slightly beyond the anterior angles of the pronotum, parallel sides of the abdomen, and the median uncus lobes are bent forming a horse-shoe shape when viewed from the posterior. Dorisiana Metcalf, 1952 can be distinguished by its head being as wide or wider than the mesonotum with the eyes not extending beyond the lateral edges of the pronotum, triangular timbal covers, ventral margin of the timbal cover angled dorsally not parallel to the long body axis, and the median uncus lobes are bent. Pacarina Distant, 1905 can be distinguished by the non-parallel radial and radiomedial crossveins, the vertex at the ocelli being much longer than the front, and the triangular timbal covers that cover the majority of the timbal. Similary, the genus Ollanta Distant, 1905 can be distinguished by the lobate lateral angles of the pronotal collar, the non-parallel radial and radiomedial crossveins, and triangular timbal covers concealing the majority of the timbal. Cracenpsaltria n. gen. lacks the posteriorly extending median uncus lobes of Ariasa instead possessing separate, long hooked lateral uncal lobes, the pygofer distal shoulder is angled in the new genus, lacks the laterally expanding abdominal segments, and the length of the abdomen is greater than the distance between the apex of the head and posterior cruciform elevation.

Distribution. The genus is found over much of South America including references to Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Paraguay, Surinam, Uruguay, and Venezuela ( Metcalf 1963; Sanborn 2011a; 2011b; 2013; 2016a; Sanborn & Heath 2014). It is doubtful that all of the six undetermined species attributed to the genus by Pogue (1996) in Peru are species of Ariasa but confirmed records from Peru are provided here.

Key to the species of Ariasa

1 White basal area of hind wings, abdominal tergites unicolorous black................................... A. albiplica

- Basal area of hind wings not white, abdominal tergites more than one color....................................... 2

2 Lateral area and posterior of abdominal tergites red................................................. A. nigrorufa

- Lateral area and posterior of abdominal tergites not red....................................................... 3

3 Lateral abdominal tergites, pronotal collar, pronotal scutes, and costal margin ochraceous............... A. arechavaletae

- Lateral abdominal tergites, pronotal collar, pronotal scutes, and costal margin not ochraceous......................... 4

4 Body length less than 20 mm ........................................................................... 5

- Body length greather than 20 mm ....................................................................... 6

5 Mesonotum with linear black fascia, abdominal tergites tawny with black anterior margin on midline of tergites 1–2...................................................................................................... A. urens

- Mesonotum with large, obconical black fascia, abdominal tergites black with tawny posterior margins......... A. diupsilon

6 Basal cell of fore wing marked with brown................................................................ 7

- Basal cell of fore wing marked with black................................................................ 10

7 Anterior margin of postclypeus truncated, white spots on lateral tergite 8, body length about 23 mm ......... A. alboapicata

- Anterior margin of postclypeus bulbous, no white spots on lateral tergite 8, body length greater than 25 mm ............ 8

8 Pronotal collar green, white spots on anterolateral mesonotum, body length about 31 mm .......... A. albimaculosa n. sp.

- Pronotal collar tawny or tawny heavily marked with black, no white spots on anterolateral mesonotum, body length about 28 mm ............................................................................................... 9

9 Head tawny with black around ocelli, pronotal collar light tawny with transverse black fascia, basal cell of fore wing with small dark tawny spot........................................................................ A. colombiae

- Head black with ochraceous markings, pronotal collar tawny with black lateral angles, basal cell of fore wing mostly filled with dark tawny spot...................................................................... A. nigrovittata

10 Abdominal tergites mostly tawny with small black markings, plaga dark gray, black body markings reduced........... 11

- Abdominal tergites at least half black, plaga white, blue or ochraceous, black body markings obvious.................. 12

11 Triangular extension in middle of ventral uncus about one third the length of the uncus and folded mediad not seen in lateral view, female abdominal segment 9 smoothly arched dorsally......................................... A. bilaqueata

- Triangular extension in middle of ventral uncus about one fifth the length of the uncus and upright seen as a triangle in lateral view, female abdominal segment 9 straight with slightly upturned dorsal beak........................ A. bartletti n. sp.

12 Abdominal tergites mostly black without variegated silver and black pile forming an arch on the dorsal surface, plaga white.............................................................................................. A. russelli

- Abdominal tergites about half black with variegated silver and black pile forming an arch on the dorsal surface, plaga blue or ochraceous......................................................................................... 13

13 Plaga blue with black marking distally, basal cell almost entirely black, infuscation at the base of the clavus and cubital cell in the fore wing, pronotal collar tawny with black lateral markings, submedian sigillae almost completely black.. A. maryannae

- Plaga ochraceous with distal black marking, basal cell black in distal third, no infuscation at the base of the clavus and cubital cell in the fore wing, pronotal collar green without black lateral markings, submedial sigillae black medially..... A. egregia