The present-day distribution patterns of the cicadas of Wallacea, New Guinea, and the West Pacific reflect the extremely complex geotectonic history of that area. The patterns found in two unrelated monophyletic groups of cicadas (Insecta, Homoptera, Cicadoidea), the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria and the tribe Chlorocystini with its sister tribe Prasiini, are analysed and related to data from the geological literature. The two groups have a comparable distributional range over Sulawesi, Maluku, New Guinea, the Bismarck Archipelago, and the East-Melanesian archipelagos, to Tonga and Samoa. The occurrence of endemic species, species groups, and genera in congruently delimited parts of this range made us recognize 14 areas of endemism. The areas of endemism coincide with geological entities, which have been isolated during a considerable period of time. Most of the areas originated from oceanic island arcs, which developed as a result of subduction along the southern and western edges of the Pacific tectonic plate, others are rifted microcontinents. Concentrations of species and especially endemic species of the various cicada genera in different areas of endemism suggest that each of these genera evolved in isolation on one of the afore mentioned geological entities. These entities can therefore be regarded as source areas for the genera. The island arc fragmented as a result of collisions first with the Asian-and later with the Australian tectonic plate and several of its parts reamalgamated at the northern craton of the Australian plate, where they now form the greater part of the island of New Guinea. After reamalgamation of the arc fragments the cicadas of the respective genera that had evolved on these fragments could disperse into adjoining areas, but since cicadas are poor dispersers the source areas of the genera can still be recognized in present-day distribution patterns. The generic relationships in the two groups of cicadas under study indicate area relationships that comply with the latest palaeogeographic reconstructions. The main vicariant speciation events in the cicada cladograms correspond with the presumed sequences of fragmentation of the island arc. Cicada phylogeny and distribution combined reflect the historic area relationships rather than the present ones.

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Abstract. A consensus cladogram is presented for ninety-seven of the ninetynine (sub)species of the cicada subtribe Cosmopsaltriina on the basis of a cladistic analysis of forty-nine characters. The consensus cladogram confirms the monophyly of the eight genera constituting the subtribe, and the monophyly of the subtribe as a whole. Cosmopsaltriina occur in Sulawesi, the Moluccas, New Guinea, Cape York, the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa. The subtribe demonstrates a high rate of endemism on genus, species group and species level. The taxon-area and consensus-area cladograms resulting from Brooks parsimony analysis are discussed in relation to the palaeogeography of the area.

Abstract— The biogeography of the cicadas of the Indo‐Pacific is discussed in relation to paleogeography and compared with distribution patterns found in other groups of organisms. The cicadas show a low degree of endemism in the mainland of southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands, and a high degree of endemism in Sulawesi, New Guinea, and the islands of the west Pacific. The biogeography of the cicadas of these regions with high endemism is analyzed for four groups: the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria, the tribe Prasiini, the genus Baeturia, and the Pacific Cryptotympanini. A review of the paleogeography of the Indo‐Pacific, specifying the relevant barriers, island arcs, and land connections, is provided. The recognized areas of endemism are tentatively related to the geological history of the Indo‐Pacific. Areas of endemism are the Sulawesi Arcs and the Outer and Inner Melanesian Arcs. New Guinea appears to be a composite of areas of different origin: the central mountains of the Inner Melanesian Arc, the north‐coast mountains of the Outer Melanesian Arc, and the Vogelkop area, which is of uncertain origin. The Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea seems to be a zone of overlap between the Outer and the Inner Melanesian Arcs. The Pacific archipelagos of the Outer Melanesian Arcs (viz., the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa Islands) represent distinct areas of endemism. The taxon‐area cladogram of the Cosmopsaltriaria gives some indication of the relationships among the areas of endemism. The discussion is extended to groups of bats, frogs, psocids, butterflies, and moths of the Melanesian Arcs, as their patterns of distribution seem equally relevant for the recognition of the biogeographic interrelationships in the Indo‐Pacific.