nab MONOGHAPH OF ORIENTAL CICADID^ BY W DISTANT L FELLOW OF THE ENTOMOLOCilCAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON, BELGIUM, FRANCE, AND STOCKHOLM AUTHOR OF 'RHOPALOCERA MALAYANA,' 'A NATURALIST IN ; THE TRANSVAAL,' &C WITH FIFTEEN PLATES, AND WOODCUTS ^3ul)Us!jrtf ©rUrr of W^t 1)5 of CTrustcrs ^ V ^''' tfje Calcutta* Landor despised Entomology, yet, in the same bieatli, said, "the sublime was in a grain of dust." LONDON :— PRINTED BY WEST, NEWM.VN & Euebson, 'Engluh TraiU.' CO AND SOLD BY LONDON :— H.S KING & CO., 66, CORNHILL; and E.W.J ANSON, 85, LITTLE RUSSELL ST., BLOOMSBURY CALCUTTA :— At the INDIAN MUSEUM and THACKER, SPINK & CO BERLIN:— R FRIEDLANDER & SOHN ; 1889—1892 c^ %o Wm 4ili;morit of THK LATK E T ATKINSON, ACCODNTANT-OENERAL IJF BESOAL 13 A., ; PRESIDENT OF THE BOAHU OF IBDSTEES OF THE INDIAN MDSECJI, CUiCUTTA AnXHOR OK JIANY PAPERS ON INDIAN RHYNCIIOTA ; AND (Jiomotcv of the {3ublic;ition of this jHanograpli, I DEDICATK THE SAJIE ; PREFACE At the request and by the Hberal enterprise of the Trustees of the Indian Museum much influenced by my late friend Mr E T Atkinson I have in the following pages — monographic revision and description of the Oriental species of the Homoptercus Family Cicadida; The limits of the fauna thus studied have already been defined at page 2, and over attempted the knowledge of such a little-collected family as the Cicadidae must necessarily be fragmentary and of a very unequal character Nevertheless I have been able to study a very great deal of the material which already exists The fine collection of these insects this large area our belonging to the Indian examined all Fea in ; ; * at my Calcutta has passed through hands, and I have the specimens in the collection of the late Mr E T Atkinson had submitted to Museum Museum Museum the me for identification have also the whole of the Oriental species in the Brussels Celebesian specimens collected by the very fine material in the I Dr Meyer, Genoa Museum, t and now in the Dresden including the collection made by Tenasserim and Upper Burma, by Beccari in several islands of the Malayan Archipelago, New Guinea the rich Cicadan possessions in the Leyden Museum, I and by D'Albcrtis in including the captures ; made in Java and Sumatra by Hagen, Van Lansberg, and the Sumatran Expedition, have been placed at my disposal to aid this work; the private collections of the late Dr Signoret, naturally had ready access to the British §and I Mr P Moore, and have also had a loan of ^Iv F Pascoe I have Museum, without which nothing could have been attempted in the unravelling of the types made by the late F Walker, and our national collection is not only rich in Indian species, but contains nearly all the Cicadan results of Malayan Archipelago My own collection includes the captures made by Dr Leith in Bombay, A W Chennell in Assam, G T Hampson iu the Neelgiri Kills, myself in the Malay Peninsula, H Forbes in Java and Sumatra, Carl Bock in Sumatra and Borneo, Baron Von Hiigel in Java, W Doherty in Assam, Burma, Perak, Borneo, and the eastern islands of the Archipelago, J Whitehead on the Kina Balu Mt., Capt Bingham in Burma, Geo Lewis and II J S Pryer in Japan W B Pryer in North Mr Wallace's memorable was visit to the "' For which i Tluougli the kindness of the JIarquis Doria and Dr Gestro I imlchtecl to M rrcuilhuuime de Borre J I cannot help recording, and with scientific appreciation and gratitude, the facilities I have been afforded by Continental JIuseums, to improve this and other works I have been engaged on, by the loan of specimens, always cheerfully and readily granted I cannot give Continental workers the assurance of similar assistance from our National Institution, by tlio rules of tho liritish Museum, a specimen once deposited there never leaves the portals of its zealously -guarded doors § 15y the good offices of Dr C Hitsema for PREFACE vi Borneo, and part of the collection made by A E Pratt in China.* I have also been allowed and Indian types in the Stockholm Museum Referring to my own unpublished Catalogue, about 82 genera, and 720 J species of Cicadida3 are now known to Science, and of these I have been able to include 34 genera to see most of Stal's Philippine and 268 species in New China and especially for Guinea, though we and species found in Continental India as may much more Of the life-histories of these interesting insects At page made reference has been 1, number this fauna, a doubtless insufficient to most for many parts of the area, consider our knowledge of the genera satisfactory we can only glean scattered records of the published information respecting the structural details of the wonderful sound-producing organs The volume of the males sound emitted by these organs has impressed travellers and naturalists in we meet with many and adventure The time of day when world, and references to it in zoological literature them loudest towards night-vocal crickets and re-commence their all in works of travel the males give forth their shrill and unmelodious sounds probably varies with different species and in different " found and of parts of the localities In Nicaragua, Belt up their shrill music until it is taken up by In Austraha, " during rain, these insects are silent but sunset, keeping locusts." § ; clamour on the re-appearance of fine weather." || In South Brazil, Bigg- Wither, referring to a dominant species, states that he does not remember ever hearing "its excepting during the three months of September, October, and November." shrill whistle In the Transvaal, according to my own •[ experience, Platijpleura divisa has an equally restricted time of appearance and song, commencing in November, after the arrival of the rains In the North of Italy, Swinton noticed that the males of Cicada plcbcja and Tihiceii Immatodcs " sing on the summit brushwood of at to twelve feet," while Tcttigia orni an elevation varying from ten " will ascend the poplar trunks to a much greater height" for the same purpose.** In Brazil, Mr Jones describes a species as making a noise equal to the whistle of a locomotive so remarkable is the resemblance that once or twice since I have returned to England I have suddenly been recalled to the tropical groves by the sound of an extra referring to an Australian species, PsaUoda miereiis It is shrill railway whistle at given by Prof McCoy, described as producing " almost a Perhaps the most picturesque description of this sound a distance." ft " Indeed is deafening sound from the numbers of the individuals in the hottest days, and the loudness of their noise the letter series of ; which beginning with a prolonged high-toned whir E loudly prolonged in a high pitch, continued for a minute or two, breaks into a diminuendo 'squawks,' heard some hundred yards kept up with like that of a knife-grinder, or ' damnable off, is duck in a farm-yard, loud enough to be and stunning our ears with the shrilling and squalling This by hundreds of individuals all day long, iteration,' as Falstaff says, would tax the patience of a The Cicadan song like that of a frightened saint, if such existed in Australia." clearly of a sexual nature, the sound-producing organs being only me by Mr J H Leech, the promoter of the expedition f By the favour of Dr C Aurivillius This does not inchide the whole of Walker's descriptions, and leaves a few yet undetermined to be of synonymic or J specific value The tabulation, however, may be taken as approximately correct * Presented to § If 'The Naturalist in Nicaragua,' p 312 Pioneering in South Brazil,' vol i p 297 |] ' It 'Yorkshii-e Natm-alist' (2), ix pp 129-30 (1884) Bennett, 'Wanderings in New South Wales,' vol ** Insect Variety,' p 222 i p 237 ' J| 'Prodromus Zoology— Victoria,' v pp 53, 5i (Dec, 1880J PREFACE A developed in the male sex recent writer has affirmed that the song of the Cicada appreciated by other orders of insects mentioned by the narrator —in vu Natal, According to this observer when a species is singing the insect is The song know nothing of the mental concepts of these beautiful insects Cartesian, and does not estimate even the Cicadidae as living automata of insects may structure, their in classification existence, their duration sequence, zoological practically its — probably limited known imdreamed The writer is not a The " life-liistories" geographical their to — thoughts the vulture and many insects, the veil is no more hazarded the opinion, though must which than those of the inhabitants of a feelings, The psychology soaring above tliem If, of insects is as has been truly remarked, with have a sympathetic insight into the ideas, to concepts of the living mass of creatures of which w^e form so small a part.f pair for lifted and capable, we might hear the roar of the atoms which environ how much more might we long may the distribution, by which they often survive the terrors of a struggle for life, their food and times of appearance, and yet, little in the philosophy of entomologists ears sufficiently attuned I'latijplcura branches and habits of as this knowledge can be said to exist regarding Kafir kraal are suspended is include their embryological stages, with an exhaustive knowledge of their protective or mimetic resemblances hides their often is it is not is alarmed, as in the Transvaal, where, when a tree has ahuost vibrated with the screeching noise, I have produced complete silence by standing amidst We name loudest, its surrounded by numbers of a lace-wing fly" (Xothochrifsa gigantca).* when — whose life upon in the fears, us, and have recently I very limited observation, that at least a species of African mature development be, allowed to ants, termites, bees, \ If reason and even wasps and and intelligence spiders, surely it is are, and only our ignorance that prevents the recognition of some form of the saine qualities in the Cicadidae Although Entomology has made such strides, and so many thousands we described, catalogued, and often figured, yet to their inner lives The Cicadidae appear to be one of the victims of most predacious creatures The of insects are is at most non-protected family of ' and are the insects, instances that can be quoted probably only give present very incompletely known § In Nicaragua, Belt has described how during April, * fully are " strangers yet." an idea of the way their members are thinned by numerous enemies, while the enemies now list of those They probably largely fall a prey to birds when the Cicadas are particularly plentiful, Nature Notes,' August, 1891 Mivart has lately re-affirmed his belief that the psychical powers of brutes are limited to sense perception, and and conception ('Essays and Criticisms') but the proof is absent, and though reasonable the statement does not carry more conviction than some theological propositions On the other hand Count Goblet d'Alviella truly remarks, when discussing the question of Religion in Animals' " A century ago such a question would only have provoked a smile but now that we have accustomed ourselves to search in the lowest strata of animal life for the antecedents of physiological and intellectual characteristics which only receive their full expression in the best-endowed representatives of human culture, it is no longer possible to dismiss the question of the religion of animals in this summary style Animals share the philosophic fate of savages They are alternately exalted and humbled, according to the exigencies of tlie current theory as to the position of man in nature" (Hibbert Lectures, 1S91, p -li)) Westermarck, in his great work, The History of Human Marriage,' goes back to the precursors of man in his study of the origin of that in^ititution, and a course he forcibly affirms (p 9) is " the only one which can lead to the trutli, but a path which is open to him alone who regards organic nature as one continued chain, the last and most perfect link of which is man." f Dr give no evidence of the possession of the higher faculties of ideation ; ' : — ; ' J § ' Naturalist in the Transvaal,' p 07 few of the following notes I pubhshed in A Centrali Americana.' my description of the Central American Cicadid* in i!ie • Biologia PREFACE viii " individuals are often seen whose bulky bodies have been bitten from the thorax off )jy some and the large and graceful Swallow-tailed Kite at that time feeds on nothing else I have seen these Kites sweeping round in circles over the tree-tops, and every now and then catching insects off the leaves, so that on shooting them I have found their crops filled with In New Zealand, Melampaalta cingulata is destroyed in enormous quantities by CicadidfB."* bird ; the " ordinary house sparrow," and Mr Hudson, who records the fact, also remarks that he docs not think the species can, from this cause, " long remain abundant in the neighbourhood The same thing has occurred in North America, where Tihiccn attacked by Passer domcsticus, "and so ravenously and persistently does of our larger towns." was scptfiiidccim also t this bird pursue its food, that the wherever these have been at numerous." be attacked by the larva; to insects are devoured by Mantidaj unfortunate Cicada, from which thing is — a male — making strewn by the wings of the unfortunate Cicada I The eggs are not spared by other insects They Eeaumur all ground an European species are stated by of of an ichneumon Mrs Monteiro found § "a In South-East Africa the perfect large green Mantis holding had already bitten one eye, and part of the head the poor In the Transvaal, as loud stridulating noise all the time." it its ; || I have elsewhere recorded, foimd a species of Platijpleura (P divisa) by " spiders On an was captured and eaten once hearing a particularly loud chorus from a peach-tree, I visited the same and found that spiders had industriously spread their webs between the branches, and remains of the Platupkimc were suspended in a more or less devoured condition." IT In the neighbourhood of Candahar a writer who records a wonderful congregation of Cicadidse, to capture specimens, also states, " The only enemies they appeared to have were some large dragon-flies, which pounced upon them and carried off what appeared to be double their own weight."** Hornets swell the list of insect-foes Herr Schliiter, in Texas, saw a Cicada of "exceptional size" attacked by a hornet, killed, and actually carried away by its much smaller destroyer, ff They are also subject to fungoid growths Mr Peck describes a fungus developed on the abdomen of Tihicen septemdccim, which, though not immediately fatal to the insect, manifestly incapacitates The it for propagation I \ peculiarities in the geographical distribution of the species described in this are best understood by a reference to the following systematic the species is comparatively scheduled It will list, in volume which the range of all thus be seen that in the extreme west of our region the genus Cicadatra just enters as a Paltearctic representative, whilst in the most eastern portion of our area the genera Prasia and Aerilla are allied to the distinctly Australian and CMarocysta This helps to prove the Cicadan homogeneity of our fauuistic area, which embraces all the known species of the genera Pohjncum, Aixjamiana, Pacua, genera CiistosoiiKi Graptopsaltria, Talabuja, Toscna, Lcptopsaltvia, Duiuluhia, Pomponia, Psithjristria, Grijptotijinpana, Gaanu, Graptotettix, Huechijs, Teipnosia, Prasia, Bcetitria, CalccKjninus, * 'Naturalist in Nicaragua,' p 230 \ Riley, Scicruptera, ' Science,' v p 5'21 (1885) and Mofianiua, Bustia, Karcnia, Ematliia, Thus, according to present knowledge, Aerilla New Zealand Instit vol xxiii p 50 Quoted by Westwood, 'Modern Classif Ins.' \ Trans § Kamalata, (1890) vol ii p 425 Delagoa Bay,' p 188 IT Distant, Naturalist in the Transvaal,' p 67 ** J A S Beng vol ix p 441 (1840) Mind in Animals,' Mrs Besaut's Translat f f Biiclmer, Annual Eeport on the New York Museum of Natiu-al History for 1878.' \l ' ' II ' ' p 297 PREFACE ix twenty-five out of our thirty-four genera are wholly restricted to the fauna ; we may whilst almost say the same of three other genera, Cosmopsaltria, Gijmnotympana, and Lemheja many cases, therefore, this is a generic as well as a faunistic many possess that exhaustive character with limit being region proves a moderately sharp faunistic divisor Malayan Archipelago New at Guinea, and this is ; not likely to it is above genera, when the of the Our western known Pacific Islands are better monograph, but Cicadidti; of the on the border of the Pala^arctic but in the east we is and so so limited the artificially closed certainly not a line of faunistic cleavage the Cicadida% Japan docs not exhibit a Palajarctic facies, but has true Oriental affinities China our knowledge In partial that In ; of nothing can with confidence be said on the subject In preparing a monograph of a group of exotic insects, the writer becomes aware as the more thoroughly he strives to his work, of the initial character of such undertakings.* no doubt, Collectors, will largely add to the number of species to be included in this fauna, and also show a wider distribution of the species already enumerated must necessarily accumulate with time the habits of these insects adopted and pm'sued classification here is Fresh observations on The permanence neither claimed nor expected it would be our present artificial survive the exigencies of museum taking a very pessimist view of the future progress of Entomology, and arbitrary classificatory systems were anticipated to arrangement, and our present limited knowledge sequence of Families, Genera, and Species; unknown if In fact, Embryological conditions, considered on must be the guide in framing our future natural systems, showing the evolutionary principles, practically The monographist the embryology of the Cicadida) philosophical conception of less life of to-day can only prepare the material to be dealt on wider principles, and narrow than that now so generally popular about thirty years since the publication of the already taken place, what I though only leave I will — criticises does better I ' Origin of Species ; ' living in a It is only judging fi-om what has not be expected at the end of another similar period ? I thus found our knowledge of the Cic adidfe in a somewhat chaotic condition, and may, metaphorically, exclaim, "Order reigns in ^Yarsaw." in artifwial order, only add he who I it may at present is with in a future biological era by students trained feel that, of the if I may does well ; so without presumption —to those who use he who corrects does better ; this and he who adds monograph, that to our knowledge still must again bear witness has illustrated this to the publication, as faithful he did work my of ' my artist, Mr Horace Ivnight, who Rhopalocera Malayana.' entomological artist does not always receive his proper value How often he I think makes the possible a bad description * It was ono of the sayings of the lato well-known British zoologist, Fredk Bond, " that a natarahst ousht to havo three lives— seventy years to collect, seventy to study his collection, and seventy to impart his knowledge to others." ' Entomologist,' vol xxii p 2GG PuRLEY, Surrey, August, 1893 OlilEX TAL CJr.il 111 >/E 14 • Genus PKASIA Priisid, Still, As Trans Ent Soc Lond ser 3, vol my own the specimens of this genus in all p 57-1 (1803) i collection are of the female sex, description was founded on female specimens in the British Museum, I and bials have thought it hest to give the original generic diagnosis "Caput parvuin, thoracis antico hand latins, vertice aiif^usto; fronte compressa, Talde prominentc, Antennarum basin versus angustata margine antico utiinKiuo Tegmina produetis articulus Icviter elevate, subrecto, primus elongatus Thorax postice quam antice latior, limbo postico angusto, angulis basalibus retrorsum leviter vix margiuata, areolis apicalibus octo, veuis ulnaribus basi distautibus, anastomosibus duabus exterioribus opposite oblicjuis " Cystosomati* affine genus." To the above description Alse angustissime marginatje, areolis niMcalibus sex." may be added the male characteristic of having the abdomen considerably dilated Prasia is Archipelago a genus, according present knowledge, to Its species are rare in and collections, quite confined to Malayan the those of the male sex are particularly scarce Prasia faticina (Tab VII., Prasiii faticiita, Still, Tr;ius Eiit Soc figs 14, Lond " Pallidissime subolivaceo-flavescens ultra medium albido ; ,,, h.) ser 3, vol i tegminibus alisque sordide hyaliuis, illorum margine costali ; ? " thorace antrorsum sensim angustato Long 28, exp tegm 80 mill " Vertex oculo transverse nonuihil latior Thorax ab apice retrorsum sensim ampliatus, lateralibus, rugte crassiusculai instar, 574 (18G3) p inter se et ab oculis aeque longe distantes Ocelli postici postice prominulis quam antice duplo circitcr Tegmina abdomine marginibus latior, duplo longiora, areis apicalibus quarta, quinta, sexta et septima longissimis, tertia prima et octava nonnibil longiore, secunda omnium Femora antica subtus trispinosa, spina subapicali brevissima, area basali interna apice sat acuta minutissima, subbasali nutante, reliquis majore." Hab.— Malayan Archipelago: Celebes (Brit Mus ; Beecari— Genoa Mus.) The female type in the British Museum, and another Celebesiau specimen of belonging to the Genoa Museum, constitute my sole knowledge of this species Prasia princeps Prasia $ princeiis, Distaut, (Tab Xlll., Head with Hist ser 6, vol Long excl tegm S * Cystoaoma , is or olivaceous 28 millim ii p 825 (188Si the eyes and the apex of the front infuscatid; the ocelli and the lateral margins of the pronotum more or less oehraceous Tegmina very pale oehraceous oehraceous Vings pale hyaline same sex figs 14, a, h.) Ann & Mag Nat Pale olivaceous-green the ; anterior and subhyaline ; tiliia; and the costal tarsi brownish membrane and Exp ttgm yO millim an Australian genus, in which the abdomen of the male ses is much inflated the venation ORIENTAL CICADID.E 146 This species and also by the to P fatinnn, is allied different Stiil, but by differs its much greater size most notably of the venation to the tegmina, arrangement and distinct coloration, and shape in the size of the apical areas Malayan Archipelago: North-east Celebes Hab Prasia hariola Hariola I'lasin (Tab VII., figs 16, Trans Eut Soc Lend Still, " Griseo-straminea ; (coll Dist.) a, h.) ser 3, vol i p 574 (1863) tegminibus alisque sordide hyalinis, illorum margins costali ultra medium albido; " thorace utrimque distincte sinuato " Long 21, exp tegm 60 millim." " Prtecedenti* similis, minor, forma thoracis Ocelli postici inter se Vertex oculo transverse pauUo distinguenda medium quinta prima, tertia, quarta, parallelis, dein postice subito ampliatis sexta longissimis et latior Thorax margine antico subelevato, oculos paullo magis approximate quam ad lateribus obtusissimis, fere ab apice ad apicalibus mox Femora Tegmina areolis subtus apicem versus antica bispinosa (spina tertia subbasali lcesa?)."t Malayan Akchipelago Hab Prasia fatiloqua : Mysol (Tab VI., (coll Stul.) New Guinea ; by Dr is known only to me by " Pallide ohvaceo-virescens, a typical male specimen kindly lent for illustration Stockholm Museum, and Aurivillius, of the —Genoa Mus.) figs 2, a, h.) Prasia fatiloqua, Stal, 6fv.Vet.-Ak Forh 1870, p 718, n This species (D'Albertis append I Stal's original description tegminibus sub-concoloribus, pellucidis scutello ; postice medio sub- ampliato, metanoto medio pone apicem scutelli prominulo et medio rugoso-elevato." " ^ Long " 19, exp tegm 60 mill." Abdomine inflato, operculis nullis segmento dorsah ultimo angulis apicalibus in processum (? subcurvum productis segmento ventrali peuultimo transverso, posterius rotundato et medio subtruncato ; ; ; segmento ultimo obovato mediocri." " P hariolee simillima, ocellis minoribus, vertice latiore, oculis fere duplo scutello basi medio nonnihil producto et latiore, fronte basi latiore, subdepresso, areis apicalibus plurimis tegminum brevioribus, area ulnari interiore (quinta) apicem versus sensim nonnihil ampliata anastomosibusque curvatis Malayan Archipelago: Philippine Hab Prasia foliata (Tab XV., Isles (Semper differt." — Stockh Mus.) figs 1'2, a, b.) Cephaloxys foUata, "Walker, List Horn Suppl p 37 (1858) Prasia foliata, Stal, Ofv Vet.-Ak Forli 18G-2, p 483 "Male the head Testaceous Head with somewhat opaque, testaceous, slightly oblique, but not in the usual direction from which " it is parted by Hind wings oblique Length of the Hab.— Malayan The the front porrect, triangular, acute full its own ; convex in front ; first second very oblique, length ; transverse vein much third oblique, curved much broader than the thorax Fore wings Prothorax Abdomen broader than border narrow behind, broader on each side ; slightly undulating, very curved, twice the length of the ; first, fourth nearly straight, very slightly vitreous." body lines Archipelago figure is taken ; : of the wings 20 lines." Celebes (Mad Pfeiffer— Brit Mus.) ; Sangir (Doherty— coll Dist.) from Walker's type in the British Museum • P faticina f I mv did not detect a third subbasal anterior femoral spitie in hands tlie female specimen from New Guinea which passed through ORIENTAL CICADID.K Genus Ill LEMBEJA Lembeja, Distant, ante, p 103 (1892) Perissoneitni, Dist Head margins (nom preocc.) Proc Zool Soc 1883, trianrjular, the froat protniueutlj' slightly the vertex with the lateral ; and broadly rounded at apices margin ; Pronotum at the posterior angles ampliated, deflexed to base Abdomen above distinctly and longitudinally raised and Face very prominent, strongly compressed and wedge-shaped, concavely narrowing on carinate Eostrum reaching the intermediate half and subacutely produced convex beliiud the eyes and prominently produced in front of the eyes posterior angles about twice as broad as anterior of tegmina, p 189 coxiB Tegmina elongate ; its apical the costa very slightly depressed immediately beyond base, and then slightly raised and convex from about the apex of upper ulnar area the interior ulnar area with the apes slightly but distinctly broader than base the space between the ; ramus ampliated, and the costal margin very finely an additional curved and rudimentary vein the fifth ulnar areas this vein is distmct and perfect apices of the postcostal vein and the postcostal ulnar hirsute apical areas eight, the eighth broadest ; and shortest conuectmg the base of the second and the apex of distance from the base of the second for a short obsolete ^ ; ; ; and into the third ulnar areas, after which it is sub- basal area almost twice as long as broad Abdomen inflated ; tegmina shorter than in female ; tympana totally uncovered ; opercula rudimentary Since I founded this genus on a Cclebesian species, two other species have been described by Dr Karsch, one from Port Moresby in These habitats Torres Straits New Guinea, and the other from Thursday Island in present constitute our knowledge of the geogi-aphical at distribution of Lembeja, and two of the three species are included in our restricted fauna Lembeja maculosa (Tab VII., I'eiisxoiiruia iiwculosti, Distant, Proc Zool Soc 1883, p 190, xvi p ligs 13, a, //.) t 25, figs 3,