Yanga guttulata ( Signoret, 1860 )

Sanborn, Allen F., 2021, The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae) of Madagascar including a new tribe, five new genera, twelve new species, four new species synonymies, five revised species status, ten new combinations, new tribal assignments for four genera, one new subtribe synonymy, a checklist and key to the species, Zootaxa 4937 (1), pp. 1-79 : 11

Yanga guttulata ( Signoret, 1860)

Platypleura guttulata Signoret 1860: 178 . ( Madagascar)

Platypleura tepperi Goding & Froggatt 1904: 568 . (Northern Territory, Australia) (error)

Remarks.— Moulds (2010) determined the status of the Australian species as a junior synonym of the Madagascar species. The fourth of five species with ochraceous hind wings marked with piceous-brown or castaneous. It can be distinguished from Y. bouvieri by the basal piceous brown hind wings, hind wings apical cells 1–3 are completely piceous brown or castaneous in Y. andriana and Y. mahajangaensis n. sp., and the hind piceous brown of light intensity forming a central spot, spots in distal apical cells and within anal cell 2 in Y. grandidieri . Indigenous people use the species as a food source ( Randrianandrasana & Berenbaum 2015). It has also become a pest in sugar cane (e.g., Brenière and Syfrig 1965; Monsarrat 1966; 1978; Monsarrat and Malinge 1968; 1969). Body length is about 23–27 mm with wingspans of about 77–82 mm. The song is a continuous train of syllables with peak energy about 7.6 kHz with several harmonics above and below the peak frequency ( Boulard 2006b).

Distribution.—The species has been reported from Madagascar, including Nosy Be, and the Seychelles ( Metcalf 1963a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Sanborn 2013). The reference to the Seychelles is in Distant’s (1906) synonymic list is considered to be in error as it is the only reference and the species is usually found in large numbers. Distant (1906) was probably referencing what is now Seychellalna seychellensis ( Distant, 1912a) , a species he originally described in the genus Yanga . Karsch (1890) and Jacobi (1917) report the species from western and central Madagascar. Jacobi (1917) also reported the species from Tulear, southwestern Madagascar and Nosy-Be.

Material examined.—“ Madagascar / Miarinarivo” one male ( AFSC) ; “ Madagascar / Maevatanana ” one male and one female ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Toliara Prov. / Réserve Privé Berenty, Forêt / de Bealoa, Mandraré River , / 14.6 km 329º NNW Ambroasary / elev 35m 3–8 Feb 2002 // 24º 57’ 25” S 46º 16’ 17” E / coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / at light—in gallery forest / collection Code: BLF5317 // CASENT / 3004653” one male ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Province / Diego-Suarez, Joffreville / Monastery 27 Jan 2001 / 12º 20’ S, 47º 15’ E // M.E. Irwin, E.I. Schlinger / collectors / elev. 500 m MA-01-08-02. Harin’Hala collector / malaise trap MA-01-07-08 // CASENT / 8006025” one male ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Tulear Pr. / N. Ft. Dauphin [ Tolanaro ] / 24º 57’ 14” S, 46º 51’ 45” E / 16NOV1994, 13m. at night / M.A. Ivie & D. Pollock” one male ( AFSC) ; “ MADAGASCAR: Mahajanga / Province, Mahavavy River, / 6.2 km 145º SE Mtsinjo / elev 20m 1–5 Dec 2002 / 16º 03’ 06” S 045º 54’ 30” E // coll. Fisher, Griswold et al. / California Acad. of Sciences / collected at light—in gallery / forest code: BLF6933 // CASENT / 3007864” one male ( AFSC) .