Heatharia, Sanborn, 2024

Sanborn, Allen F., 2024, Generic redescription of Chinaria Davis, 1934 with a new cicada genus for the Dominican species previously assigned to the genus (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Zammarini), Zootaxa 5447 (2), pp. 263-272 : 268-270

Heatharia n. gen.

Type species. Chinaria vivianae Ramos, 1983 (4 km SE Rio Limpio ca. 760 m, La Estrella Province, Dominican Republic), here designated. The type locality is now in Elías Piña, Province .

Species included. Heatharia vivianae Ramos, 1983 n. comb.

Etymology. The generic name is a combination of Heath – in honor of Maxine and James Heath who started me on my cicada journey and to whom I will always be grateful, and – aria (L. –arius, related to). The genus is feminine.

Remarks. Like species previously assigned to Odopoea , there is significant geographic separation from the Mexican species of Chinaria and the species of this new genus inhabiting Hispaniola ( Sanborn 2020a). The multigene phylogeny of Goemans (2016) also suggests this species is not a member of Chinaria . The morphological differences presented here provide the final evidence to warrant the erection of a new genus for the Caribbean species.

Ramos (1983) commented on the similarity of his species to Chinaria similis with respect to the large pronotum. He then differentiated it reporting his species possessing a more robust and greater breadth of the body and relatively wider wings with greater maculation ( Ramos 1983).

Description. Body size variable (30.5–35.35 mm body length). Head including eyes not as wide as the base of the mesonotum ( Ramos (1983) states head is wider than the mesonotum in his species description but measurements of the holotype image show a head width to mesothorax width ratio of 0.82, confirming the 0.82 and 0.83 ratio found in the examined material). Frons and anteromedial vertex steeply inclined, almost forming or forming a right angle with the dorsal head, vertex at area of ocelli longer than frons. Lateral ocelli closer to each other than to eyes. Postclypeus apex transverse when viewed from above, anterior of frons about as wide as the postclypeus apex visible from above. Postclypeus roof-shaped (flatly arched) ventrally, weakly centrally sulcate, transverse ridges not prominent, rostrum reaching to hind coxae. Seven segmented antennae. Pronotum shorter than mesonotum with lateral expansions extended much further than eyes, acutely angulated, the anterior and posterior margins straight, pronotum length to width ratio 3.46–3.57, mesonotum longer than pronotum, cruciform elevation with curved posterior margin covering dorsal metanotum, metanotum extends laterally beyond wing groove. Trochantin 1 split obliquely into two sections, the anterior section larger and heavily pilose. Fore femur primary spine finger-like adpressed or almost adpressed to femur; secondary spine smaller, wider at base, upright or slightly angled distally; tertiary spine very small slightly angled. Hind tibiae with two tibial spurs laterally and two tibial spurs medially. Tarsi three segmented. Male operculum large, covering tympanal cavity except for small area lateral to posterior abdominal sternite I, semicircular, straight lateral and curved posterior and medial margins, not meeting on midline; female operculum similarly shaped but smaller with pointed medial margin reaching medially only to lateral meracanthus; meracanthus short, knob-like with triangular impression not reaching to anterior operculum in either sex. Fore wings generally broad, with rounded apex, fore wing length to width ratio 2.84–2.91, narrow costal membrane widening only near basal cell, with eight apical cells, proximal fore wing to nodal line and basal half of medial cell opaque; the origins of the median vein and cubitus anterior veins fused at basal cell, extend as single vein one quarter to one third distance to nodal line; basal cell about twice as long as broad, intense infuscation and pterostigma present; cubitus anterior 1 about the same distance or slightly longer proximal than distal to the crossvein; radial crossvein angled more than radiomedial crossvein. Hindwing with six apical cells, anal vein 3 curved at distal end, anal lobe broad. Abdomen roof-shaped, about as long as the distance between the apex of the head and the cruciform elevation; segment 3 widest, distinctly wider than mesonotum, almost as wide as pronotum in male, lateral margins narrowing posteriorly to the genitalia, tympana concealed by opercula. Timbal cover with straight dorsolateral margin exposing the dorsal timbal, apex triangular with curved tip, anteromedial margin straight, anterolateral margin convex; timbal extending below wing bases. Male sternite VIII open Ushaped when viewed from posterior. Pygofer dorsal beak an elongated triangle, distal shoulder not well developed, transverse distally; upper pygofer lobe absent, basal pygofer lobe extending about a third of pygofer length, tubular but flattened distolaterally where adpressed to pygofer; median uncus lobe roof-shaped, expanding laterally from base with transverse distal margin, lateral branch of uncus narrow, bent at an approximate right angle, extending beyond terminus of median uncus lobe, apex with rounded tip; male aedeagus tubular, with terminal membrane. Female sternite VII with a posterior extension on either side of the notch beyond the transverse posterior margin, posterolateral margin curved. Female abdominal segment 9 with dorsal beak well defined, posterior margin sinuate; ovipositor sheath extending almost to the length of the dorsal beak.

Measurements (mm). Length of body: 30.50–35.35; length of fore wing: 40.50–42.70; width of fore wing: 12.90–14.30; length of head: 4.00–4.40; width of head including eyes: 9.30–10.00; width of pronotum including suprahumeral plates: 19.00–19.10; width of mesonotum: 11.45–12.20.

Diagnosis. The genus Heatharia n. gen. can be distinguished from the genus Chinaria by the lateral pronotum margin that is acutely angled with a straight anterior margin, ratio of pronotum length to width greater than 3.40, basal third of fore wing opaque, ratio of fore wing length to width about 2.84–2.91, fore wing basal cell about twice as long as broad, knob-like meracanthus, semicircular male opercula almost meeting medially, male abdomen about the same distance as the distance between the anterior postclypeus and posterior cruciform elevation, abdomen with expanding laterally from base with abdominal segment 3 widest, wider than mesonotum and almost as wide as pronotum, anterior timbal cover margin angled, lateral branches of uncus reduced with pointed apex, female sternite VII posterior margin with posterolateral extension. In contrast, the genus Chinaria can be distinguished from Heatharia n. gen. by the lateral pronotum margin forming an approximate right angle with a curved anterior margin, ratio of pronotum length to width less than 3.40, basal third of the fore wings are hyaline with limited maculation, ratio of fore wing length to width about 3.10–3.35, fore wing basal cell about three time longer than wide, elongated and pointed meracanthus, male operculum curving mediad, well separated at midline, male abdomen longer than the distance between the anterior postclypeus and posterior cruciform elevation, abdomen with parallel sides at base, about as wide as mesonotum, anterior timbal cover margin smoothly curved, lateral branches of uncus broadly flattened, extending well beyond median uncus lobe, expanding distally, female sternite VII posterior margin without posterolateral extension.

The genus Heatharia n. gen. can be distinguished from species of Zammara by the two segmented tarsi found in species of that genus. The single species of Juanaria can be distinguished by its completely opaque fore wings and completely infuscated hindwings. The opaque proximal third of the fore wing in Heatharia n. gen. distinguish it from all other known genera of the Zammarina .

Distribution. The only known species is reported from the Dominican Republic ( Ramos 1983). The type series was collected in the central mountains not too distant from the border with Haiti ( Ramos 1983). The species may also be represented in Haiti but deforestation may have eliminated the species from that country. The specimens examined here extend the range eastward to the middle of the central mountain range in La Vega Province.

Material Examined to Produce Generic Description. “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC / Pr. La Vega, La Cienega / de Manabao, Park Hdqt. / 3–5–VII–99, 3000 ft. elev. / R.E. Woodruff, blacklight // Chinaria / vivianae / Ramos, 1983 / A. Sanborn det. X/2007 ” one male ( AFSC); “ DOMINICAN REPUBLIC / Pr. La Vega, La Cienega / de Manabao, Park Hdqt. / 3–5–VII–99, 3000 ft. elev. / R.E. Woodruff, blacklight // Chinaria / vivianae / Ramos, 1983 / A. Sanborn det. X/2007 // 99.DO.VE.CDM.01 / Chinaria vivianae ” one female ( AFSC). Third label on female is identification label for specimen used in molecular analysis by Goemans (2016).