Total evidence analysis elucidates the tangled systematic scenario within Fidicinini (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha, Cicadidae)

Abstract

The Linnean, Wallacean, and Darwinian shortfalls are knowledge gaps about species taxonomy, distribution, and evolution, respectively. Fidicinini is a tribe of cicadas that suffers from these gaps. We assessed specimens of the tribe sharing similar male genital shape (uncus), but fitting the somatic morphology of either Dorisiana Metcalf, 1952 and Guyalna Boulard & Martinelli, 1996. We build a phylogenetic hypothesis by total evidence analysis and perform a character optimization of the uncus and timbal cover shapes, the last used as diagnostic for both genera. Dorisiana and Guyalna were recovered non-monophyletic. A new genus, Acanthoventrisgen. nov., and ten new species are proposed: A. charrua Ruschel sp. nov., A. claudiae Ruschel sp. nov., A. faustopsaltrius Ruschel sp. nov., A. iara Ruschel sp. nov., A. igneus Ruschel sp. nov., A. olivarius Ruschel sp. nov., A. phoenix Ruschel sp. nov., A. rubemi Ruschel sp. nov., A. tumidus Ruschel sp. nov., and A. viridinotatus Ruschel sp. nov.; and three new combinations A. densusus (Boulard & Martinelli, 2011) comb. nov., A. drewseni (Stål, 1854) comb. nov., and A. jauffreti (Boulard & Martinelli, 2001) comb. nov. We provide illustrated identification keys, occurrence maps, and discuss the distribution of the species in the new genus.

Selymbria Stål, 1861 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Tibicininae): description of a new species with notes on the genus taxonomy and distribution

“…A detailed morphological study is warranted to test this hypothesis. Morphological variation in the male uncus and the female sternite VII was also observed in other cicada genera, and the uncus includes several characters relevant for inferring phylogenies in this group (Marshall et al, 2018;Ruschel et al, 2023). The features described above are also important for species-level identification.…”