1882.] MR. W. L. DISTANT ON UNDESCRIBED CICADID/E. 125 



5. On some undescribed Cicadidse from the Australian and 

 Pacific Regions. By W. L. Distant. 



[Eeceived January 13, 1882.] 

 (Plate Aai.) 



The species here described are almost wholly from the Museum 

 Godeffroy at Hamburg, the Rhynchotal collection of which I have 

 been requested to determine by Mr. Schmeltz, 



. Australia is particularly rich in Cicadidse ; aud from what little is 

 known at present it probably possesses the greatest number of that 

 family compared with any other region of the globe. Cyclochila, Psal- 

 toda, Henicopsaltria, Thopha, Cystosoma, and Chlorocysta are genera 

 remarkable in structure, some extremely limited and none numerous in 

 species and, so far as our present knowledge extends, completely con- 

 fined to Australia ; whilst the genus Melampsalta, though not alto- 

 gether confined to that continent, is yet even now known to comprise 

 a greater number of Australian species than can be found belouging 

 to a genus in any other fauna. Two genera. Cicada and Tibicen, 

 have almost a world-wide range, or are at least found in all the 

 zoological regions. 



If we compare the distribution of the Australian Cicadidae with 

 the geographical features of the botany of the same region, coinci- 

 dences at once appear. Many afliuities, as has been so ably pointed 

 out by Dr. Hooker, exist between the South-African and Australian 

 floras ; and genera are found common to these two regions which are 

 found nowhere else. One very striking and parallel case may be 

 mentioned in the Cicadidse. The Australian genus Cystosoma is 

 strikingly dissimilar to the usual generic type in having a wonder- 

 fully inflated and dilated abdomen : in South Africa we find in this 

 respect an analogous genus in Pydna. The extraordinary multiplicity 

 of Australian species in the genus Melainpsalta reflects the abund- 

 ance of species in the genus Acacia as found in the same region. 



In the specific nomenclature I have largely used the names of 

 Australian explorers, qualitative terms being an impossibility to 

 provide for these insects, and more likely to obscure than to eluci- 

 date their differences. 



CosMOPSALTRiA STUARTi, H. sp. (Plate VII. figs. 2, 2a, 2b.) 



Body above pale greenish, sparingly pilose. Head with a spot on 

 each lateral margin, and a smaller and rounded spot on each side of 

 the ocelli, black; ocelli red margined with black; eyes dull ochraceous. 

 Pronotum with two narrow, central, longitudinal fuscous fasciae, some- 

 what faint and obliterated about centre, more widely divergent on 

 anterior margin, and joined together on the posterior margin ; oblique 

 striae behind eyes, and a spot on anterior inner border of lateral mar- 

 gin, also fuscous. Mesonotum with two central obconical spots mar- 



