Tamasini, 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 : 434

Tribe Tamasini new tribe

Type genus. Tamasa Distant (type species Cicada tristigma Germar ).

Included genera. Tamasa Distant and Parnkalla Distant.

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 weakly ampliate or confluent with adjoining pronotal sclerites; 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 not completely encapsulating meracanthus, covering tympanal cavity but not meeting. 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, small, reduced dorsally and ventrally and not reaching metathorax. Pygofer with upper lobe absent; pygofer basal lobe moderately to well developed; dorsal beak a part of chitinized pygofer. Uncus digitate or basically tubular, large, dominant. Claspers absent.Aedeagus with ventral rib completely fused with basal plate; theca straight or curved in a gentle arc; pseudoparameres absent; subapical cerci absent. Male reproductive system with accessory glands short. Female reproductive system with accessory glands of common oviduct long.

Distinguishing characters. Aedeagus with basal portion of basal plate directed upwards and nearly parallel with thecal shaft; the basal plate is also deeply divided and Yshaped in dorsal view. The broad head (distance between supra-antennal plate and eye about equal to length of supraantennal plate) in conjunction with a very elongate basal cell on the fore wing distinguish members of this tribe from all other Australian tribes except the Dundubiini . The Dundubiini differ by having a mid lateral tooth on the pronotal collar. The male timbal covers of the Tamasini are very short and their leading margin is curled upwards for part or all of their length.

Discussion. The clear separation of the monophyletic group comprising Tamasa and Parnkalla in the cladistic analysis provides strong support for the tribal ranking for these genera. The Tamasini do not appear to be closely allied to any other Australian tribe.