Chinaria Davis, 1934

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, Generic redescription of Chinaria Davis, 1934 with a new cicada genus for the Dominican species previously assigned to the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Zammarini), Zootaxa 5447 (2), pp. 263-272 : 265-266

Chinaria Davis, 1934

Chinaria Davis 1934: 52 .

Type species. Chinaria mexicana Davis, 1934 ( Cuernavaca , Morelos, Mexico)

Species included. Chinaria mexicana Davis, 1934 , Chinaria similis Davis, 1942 , Chinaria pueblaensis Sanborn, 2007 .

Etymology. The genus is named in honor of W.E. China, an entomologist at the Natural History Museum, London ( Davis 1934). The genus is feminine.

Remarks. Davis (1934) made reference to Odopoea , Miranha , Zammara , Procollina (as Collina ), and Daza in his differentiation of his new genus. Daza and Procollina are now in a different subtribe ( Sanborn 2018). Distinguishing features compared his new genus to individual genera rather than all genera identified in the generic description ( Davis 1934).

Description. Body size variable (27–40.6 mm body length). Head including eyes not as wide as the base of the mesonotum. Frons and anteromedial vertex steeply inclined, forming or almost forming a right angle with the dorsal head, vertex at area of ocelli shorter than frons. Ocelli about twice as far away from the eyes as from each other. Postclypeus apex transverse or weakly curved when viewed from above, anterior of frons about as wide as the postclypeus apex visible from above. Postclypeus roof-shaped (flatly arched) ventrally, weakly centrally sulcate, the transverse ridges not prominent, rostrum extending to hind coxae or trochanters. Seven segmented antennae. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum with lateral expansions extended much further than eyes, lateral margin forming an approximate right angle, the anterior margin curved, the posterior margin straight, pronotum length to width ratio 2.90–3.35, mesonotum longer than pronotum, cruciform elevation with open V-shaped posterior margin covering dorsal metanotum, metanotum extends laterally beyond wing groove. Trochantin 1 split obliquely into two sections, the anterior section larger and heavily pilose. Fore femur primary spine finger-like adpressed to femur, secondary spine smaller, wider at base, upright or slightly angled distally, tertiary spine very small angled. Hind tibiae with two tibial spurs laterally and two or three tibial spurs medially. Tarsi three segmented. Male operculum large covering tympanal cavity except for small area lateral to posterior abdominal sternite I, straight lateral margin, curved posterior and medial margins, well separated on midline; female operculum semicircular reaching medially only to lateral meracanthus, meracanthus elongated, pointed, reaching beyond anterior operculum margin in male and to sternite II in female. Fore wings narrower than Heatharia n. gen., narrowing to curved apex, fore wing length to width ratio 3.10–3.18 in C. mexicana , 3.24 in C. similis (measured from image of type), and 3.27–3.35 in C. pueblaensis ; narrow costal membrane widening only near the basal cell; with eight apical cells, basal region hyaline with limited maculation; the origins of the median vein and cubitus anterior veins fused at basal cell, extend as single vein almost to nodal line; basal cell about three times as long as broad, intense infuscation and pterostigma present; cubitus anterior 1 longer proximal to crossvein than distal to crossvein; radial crossvein angled less than radiomedial crossvein. Hindwing with six apical cells, anal vein 3 curved, anal lobe broad. Abdomen roof-shaped, male abdomen longer than the distance between the apex of the head and the posterior cruciform elevation; female abdomen about as long as or slightly longer than the distance between the apex of the head and the posterior cruciform elevation, lateral margins parallel at base until the abdomen begins narrowing posteriorly to the genitalia at segment 4 or 5, tympana concealed by opercula. Timbal cover with straight upper margin exposing the dorsal timbal, anterior margin smoothly with curved apex, timbal extending below wing bases. Male sternite VIII open U-shaped. Pygofer dorsal beak broadly triangular, distal shoulders not well developed, transverse distally; upper pygofer lobe absent, basal pygofer lobe extending about a third of pygofer length, flattened, rounded distally, adpressed to pygofer, median uncus short, triangular, surrounded by large lateral branches of uncus, lateral branch of uncus extending from median uncus lobe curving and expanding distally, bifurcating forming a bipartite terminus, additional lateral extension in C. similis ; male aedeagus tubular with terminal membrane. Female sternite VII with small, triangular posterior extension on either side of notch beyond the transverse posterior margin with a curved posterolateral margin. Female abdominal segment 9 with dorsal beak well defined, posterior margin sinuate ovipositor sheath extending about to the length of the dorsal beak.

Measurements (mm). Length of body: 27.00–40.60; length of fore wing: 41.15–49.60; width of fore wing: 12.00–15.20; length of head: 3.45–4.80; width of head including eyes: 9.00–12.00; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 14.50–22.30; width of mesonotum: 9.20–12.60.

Diagnosis. The genus Chinaria can be distinguished from Heatharia n. gen. by the lateral pronotum margin forms an approximate right angle with a curved anterior margin, ratio of pronotum length to width less than 3.40, basal third of the fore wings are hyaline with limited maculation, ratio of fore wing length to width about 3.10–3.35, fore wing basal cell about three time longer than wide, elongated and pointed meracanthus, male operculum curving mediad, well separated at midline, male abdomen longer than the distance between the anterior postclypeus and posterior cruciform elevation, abdomen with parallel sides at base, about as wide as mesonotum, anterior timbal cover margin smoothly curved, lateral branches of uncus broadly flattened, extending well beyond median uncus lobe, expanding distally, female sternite VII posterior margin without posterolateral extension. In contrast, the genus Heatharia n. gen. has a lateral pronotum margin that is acutely angled with a straight anterior margin, ratio of pronotum length to width greater than 3.40, basal third of fore wing opaque, ratio of fore wing length to width about 2.84–2.91, fore wing basal cell about twice as long as broad, knob-like meracanthus, semicircular male opercula almost meeting medially, male abdomen about the same distance as the distance between the anterior postclypeus and posterior cruciform elevation, abdomen expanding laterally from base with abdominal segment 3 widest, wider than mesonotum and almost as wide as pronotum, anterior timbal cover margin angled, lateral branches of uncus reduced with pointed apex, female sternite VII posterior margin with posterolateral extension.

The genus Chinaria can be distinguished from species of Zammara by the two segmented tarsi in the species of that genus. The single species of Juanaria Distant, 1920 can be distinguished by its completely opaque fore wings and completely infuscated hindwings. The fore wing median and cubitus anterior veins emerge separately from the basal cell in Chinaria and distinguish it from species of Zammaralna Boulard & Sueur, 1996 and Orellana Distant, 1905c where the veins arise together. The hyaline hindwings lacking central infuscation in Chinaria distinguish species of Borencona Davis, 1928 and Uhleroides Distant, 1912 . Species of Miranha Distant, 1905c can be distinguished by the pronotum being as long as the mesonotum, and the basal third of the fore wing and central portion of the hindwing lacking infuscation. Odopoea , Dyticodopoea , and Pygmaeodopoea can be distinguished by their hyaline wings with infuscation restricted to the fore wing radial and radiomedial crossveins if present. Finally, Adusella can be distinguished by the angularly rounded pronotal lateral angles, the fore wings lacking infuscation or the infuscation restricted to the veins surrounding the apical cells and on the nodal line and the lack of infuscation in the central region of the hindwings.

Distribution. With the removal of the Dominican species from the genus, the known distribution of all species is now restricted to Mexico ( Sanborn 2007). Specimens have been reported from the states of Guerrero, Michoacán, Morales, Nayarit, Puebla, and Sinaloa ( Davis 1934, 1942; Sanborn 2007) with C. similis reported only from Guerrero ( Davis 1942; Sanborn 2007), C. pueblaensis reported only from Puebla ( Sanborn 2007), and C. mexicana reported from Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morales, Nayarit, Puebla, and Sinaloa ( Davis 1934, 1942; Sanborn 2007).

Material Examined to Produce Generic Description. Chinaria mexicana : “ MEXICO: Jalisco / Chamela, Vic. ESTC / UNAM 9–19–VII–1993 / J. Huether // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” two males ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Jalisco, Mpio. / LaHuerta, Chamela Biol. / Sta. VII–29–1996, BL/ UV / light trap, Wm. Godwin // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” one female ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Jalisco, Mpio. / LaHuerta, Chamela Biol. / Sta. VII–28–1996, BL/ UV / light trap, Wm. Godwin // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” one female ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Jalisco, Mpio. / LaHuerta, Chamela Biol. / Sta. VII–26–1996 / Coll. Wm. Godwin // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” one female ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Nayarit / 14.4 mi W Junction to / San Blas, 19 Aug 1985 / Faulkner, Bloomfield // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” one male ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Morales / Progreso, 29.VII. / 1948 A.C. Smith // Chinaria / mexicana / Davis, 1934 / A. Sanborn det. VIII/2000 ” one male ( UCDC). Chinaria pueblaensis : “CIGALE, ESPECE No 43 / Patla, Puebla / MEXIQUE, VII – 2004 / 14854 F // Chinaria / pueblaensis / Sanborn, 2007 / A. Sanborn det. I/2008 ” one female ( AFSC); “ MEXICO: Puebla / Patla / XII – 2006 // Chinaria / pueblaensis / Sanborn, 2007 / A. Sanborn det. V /2008 ” two males and one female ( AFSC), one male with additional label “06. MX. PU.PAT.01 / Chinaria pueblaensis ” designating it was sampled and included in the genetic analyses of Goemans (2016).