Thophini Distant, 1904

Moulds, MS, 2005, An Appraisal of the Higher Classification of Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea) with Special Reference to the Australian Fauna, Records of the Australian Museum 57 (3), pp. 375-446 : 434

Tribe Thophini Distant, 1904

Thopharia Distant, 1904a: 301 .

Thophini Kato, 1932: 144 .

Type genus. Thopha Amyot & Serville (type species Tettigonia saccata F.).

Included genera. Arunta Distant , Thopha Amyot & Serville.

Diagnosis. Head with vertex laterally elongate so that eyes widely separated from supra-antennal plate. Postclypeus shape in transverse cross-section rounded; postclypeal ridges lacking transverse grooves towards distal ends. Pronotal collar with lateral margin strongly ampliate (except in Arunta ); lateral tooth absent. Fore wing pterostigma present; veins C and R+Sc close together; vein RA 1 aligned closely with subcosta (Sc) for its length. Hind wing with anal lobe broad and vein 3A usually curved at distal end, long, separated from wing margin. Fore leg femoral primary spine erect. Meracanthus gradually tapering to a point, triangular or nearly so. Male opercula completely encapsulating meracanthus and completely covering tympanal cavity. Male abdominal tergites with sides straight or convex in cross-section; tergites 2 and 3 a little larger than tergites 4–7; epipleurites reflexed to ventral surface, without an inward V-shaped kink. Timbals extend below wing bases. Timbal covers swollen and sac-like; fully rounded dorsally, extending to metathorax, tightly closing the timbal cavity or nearly so; lower margin extending anteriorly from or very near auditory capsule. Pygofer with upper lobe absent; basal lobe moderately to well developed; distal shoulder rounded; dorsal beak a part of chitinized pygofer. Uncus digitate or basically tubular, large, dominant. Claspers absent.Aedeagus with basal portion of basal plate directed forwards away from thecal shaft; ventral rib completely fused with basal plate; theca straight or curved in a gentle arc; pseudoparameres absent; subapical cerci absent. Male reproductive system with length of accessory glands long. Female reproductive system with length of accessory glands of common oviduct long.

Distinguishing characters. Males are readily distinguished by their greatly swollen and sac-like timbal covers. Females differ from those of the allied Platypleurini in having a head that is wider than the pronotum; the head of Platypleurini is narrower, usually much narrower. Females are similar to some Cryptotympanini .

Discussion. The Cuban genus Uhleroides has recently been transferred to the South American tribe Zammarini ( Moulds, 2001) . Although males of some species show some saclike development of the timbal covers, the covers are much reduced dorsally. Further, the male aedeagus of Uhleroides is markedly different and the postclypeal ridges have transverse grooves. These are all features of the Zammarini .