Brevialavenosa apicifera Sanborn 2023, new combination

Brevialavenosa apicifera (Walker, 1850) new combination

Cicada apicifera Walker, 1850: 161 (unknown locality).

Cicada terminus Walker, 1850: 163 (unknown locality).

REMARKS. In the description of Cicada temperata, Walker (1858b) compares the species to Cicada terminus. Distant (1906) synonymized Cicada apicifera and Cicada terminus and transferred the species to Abroma. The types of Cicada apicifera (Fig. 5, type specimen BMNH, specimen NHMUK010392114) and Cicada terminus (Fig. 6, type specimen BMNH, specimen NHMUK010392115) were located in the BMNH collection and images sent for examination.

Once again the type material is represented by female specimens so many diagnostic characters are unavailable. The partially fused fore wing cubitus posterior and anal vein 1, division of fore wing vein cubitus anterior 1 with the proximal portion shorter than the distal portion, hindwing cubital cell 1 width twice the width of distal cubital cell 2, hindwing radius posterior and median veins fused at their bases, partially visible dorsal metanotum, opercula not strongly S-shaped and lacking a deeply concave lateral margin place the species in the Cicadettinae while simultaneously eliminating the other subfamilies. The distance between the eye and supra-antennal plate is longer than the supra-antennal plate, the postclypeus transverse grooves extend to the distal ends of the postclypeal ridges, and the hindwing anal vein 3 does not curve distally which all suggest it is not a member of the Lamotialnini in which Abroma is classified so that the species needs to be reassigned to a different genus.

The morphological similarities of Abroma apicifera to Brevialavenosa temperata n. comb., as pointed out by Walker (1858b), suggest the species is also a member of the Taphurini and Brevialavenosa. Again, the shapes of the fore wing medial cell, ulnar cells 1 and 2, the radial crossvein being shorter than the radiomedial crossvein, the curve in the hindwing margin at cubital cell 1, the shape and proportions of the head and prothorax, and the similarities of the shape of female abdominal sternite VII to that observed in Brevialavenosa temperata n. comb. suggest the species is also a member of Brevialavenosa. Therefore, Abroma apicifera (Walker, 1850) is reassigned to Brevialavenosa Sanborn 2021b to become Brevialavenosa apicifera (Walker, 1850) n. comb. The piceous fascia on the ventral postclypeus midline and infuscation on the apex of the hindwing are unique in known species of the genus.

DISTRIBUTION. There are no known localities for the species (Metcalf 1963c). All other members of the genus are only known from Brazil.