Cicadomorpha Evans, 1946

Shcherbakov, D. E., 2021, New Curvicubitidae and Paraknightiidae (Homoptera: Cicadomorpha) from the Triassic of Central Asia, Russian Entomological Journal 30 (2), pp. 129-134 : 130

Infraorder Cicadomorpha Evans, 1946

Superfamily Pereborioidea M.Zalessky, 1930

Family Curvicubitidae Hong, 1984

REVISED DIAGNOSIS. Medium-sized polyneurous cicadas. Tegmina shallowly tectiform in repose, with distinct nodal line, fuscous with pale spots and sometimes subtransverse bands; distal vein branches very numerous and closely parallel, crossveins sparse. Tegmen: Costal margin deeply arched at base; precostal carina narrow. Sc fused with RA near base for short distance, then running not far from RA (rarely Sc completely free). Distal Sc and RA with many slanting branches. Basal cell narrow, tapered to apex, RP separating not far from it. RA and RP curved and M forked at nodal line, the line forming angle at M bifurcation; proximal MP section long, subtransverse, arched distad, running along nodal line nearly to sharp bend of CuA; branches of MP and CuA usually forming one bunch; medial and anterior cubital areas and discal cell broad. CuP arched forwards distally. Claval veins converging, distally forked and connected by crossveins, but not forming Y-vein. Narrow marginal membrane beyond apex of clavus. Blind veins running distally from proximal MP and scutellar margin of clavus, and backwards from CuA stem. Membrane finely punctate, more heavily near base; veins granulate, especially in pterostigmal area. Hindwing wide; anterior margin at base deeply arched, near midlength shallowly sinuate and with series of hooks in place of coupling lobe. Sc free, running close to RA, with faint slanting branches; RA with longitudinal posterior branches; R forked close to basal cell; RA, RP and M forked before nodal level, CuA concave, straight, with posterior branches; anal area rather narrow.

COMPOSITION. Beaconiella Evans, 1963 (= Curvicubitus Hong, 1984 , syn.n.).

REMARKS. Evans [1963] described Beaconiella with two species, B. multivenata Evans, 1963 based on a complete insect with tegmina 21 mm long, and B. fennahi Evans, 1963 (type species) based on the wing 17 mm long interpreted as a hindwing. However, the photo of the latter specimen published by Jell [2004: 64] leaves no doubt that it is a tegmen quite similar to those of two new species described below.

Hong [1984] described Curvicubitus with one species, C. triassicus Hong, 1984 based on the distal two thirds of a tegmen, 15 mm long as preserved (implying the tegmen length ca. 23 mm). A part of pterostigmal area with one slanting Sc branch visible on the original photo was not figured by Hong [1984]. Based on venation of the preserved part, Curvicubitus is considered a synonym of Beaconiella . According to Article 40.1 of the 4th edition of ICZN [ICZN, 1999], when the type genus of a family is synonymized under another genus, the family name is not replaced on that account.