Burbungini, Moulds, 2005

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 : 429-431

Tribe Burbungini new tribe

Type genus. Burbunga Distant, 1905 (type species Tibicen gilmorei Distant ).

Included genera. Burbunga Distant.

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 weakly ampliate; 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 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 similar in size to tergites 4–7; epipleurites reflexed to ventral surface, without an inward V-shaped kink. Timbals extend below wing bases. Timbal covers flat; reduced dorsally and not reaching metathorax; lower margin extending anteriorly from or very near auditory capsule. Pygofer upper lobe absent; basal lobe moderately to well developed; distal shoulder rounded, except in Macrotristria hillieri (not a true Macrotristria ; its generic placement to be addressed in a forthcoming work, Moulds in prep.) where it is distally extended and pointed; dorsal beak present as a part of chitinized pygofer. Uncus digitate or basically tubular, long, dominant. Claspers absent. Aedeagus with basal portion of basal plate directed forwards away from thecal shaft; ventral rib completely fused with basal plate; theca recurved basally through some 180°, overall spiral-shaped; pseudoparameres absent; subapical cerci absent. Male reproductive system with accessory glands long. Female reproductive system with length of accessory glands of common oviduct unknown.

Distinguishing characters. Head with vertex laterally elongate so that eyes widely separated from supra-antennal plate; theca spiral. Differs from the Platypleurini (which includes some species that are superficially similar to some Burbungini ) by having the male timbal covers reduced dorsally.

Discussion. Support for the allocation of Burbunga to its own tribe is derived from its phylogenetic position in the cladistic analysis. It clearly differs from Jassopsaltria in head and aedeagal structure, and from Cyclochila in head shape, pronotal collar development, aedeagal structure and the shape of the male opercula.