Cyclochilini 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 : 431-432

Tribe Cyclochilini Distant, 1904

Cyclochilaria Distant, 1904a: 302 .

Cyclochilini Kato, 1932: 144 .

Type genus. Cyclochila Amyot & Serville (type species: Tettigonia australasiae Donovan ).

Included genera. Cyclochila Amyot & Serville.

Diagnosis. Head with distance between supra-antennal plate and eye about equal to length of antennal plate. Postclypeus shape in transverse cross-section rounded; postclypeal ridges lacking transverse grooves towards distal ends. Pronotal collar with lateral margin strongly ampliate; lateral tooth absent; underside of lateral angles with stridulatory file (scraper on base of fore wing). Fore wing pterostigma present; veins C and R+Sc widely separated; vein R; A 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 rudimentary, short, worm-like. 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; dorsal beak present as a part of chitinized pygofer (sometimes absent in C. australasiae ). 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 recurved basally through some 180°; pseudoparameres absent; subapical cerci absent. Male reproductive system with accessory glands long. Female reproductive system with accessory glands of common oviduct long.

Distinguishing characters. Pronotal collar with lateral margin strongly ampliate, evenly rounded and horizontal in lateral view; a stridulatory file on underside of lateral angles of pronotal collar and corresponding scraper on the base of the fore wing; male meracanthus is rudimentary, short and worm-like; fore wing veins C and R + Sc are widely separated; and the male reproductive system has extraordinary long vas deferentia and accessory glands. Differs from the Cryptotympanini , Platypleurini and Thophini also in having the timbal covers reduced dorsally and not reaching metathorax, and differs from most in the relatively narrow head that is much narrower than the ampliate pronotum and has the distance between the supraantennal plate and eye about equal to the length of the antennal plate. Differs from the Burbungini and Jassopsaltriini also in having a broad lateral area to the pronotal collar, and in the male opercula which overlap and are well developed, and which reach well beyond the tympanal cavity.

Discussion. The separation of Cyclochila from the Thophini , Platypleurini , Cryptotympanini , Burbungini and Jassopsaltriini in the cladistic analysis justifies a tribal ranking based upon this genus only (see discussion “On the monophyly of the Cyclochilini ”, p. 423). Other genera previously assigned to the Cyclochilini belong to the Cryptotympanini .