New Jurassic Tettigarctid Cicadas from China with a Novel Example of Disruptive Coloration

Abstract

Tettigarctidae is the most primitive family of Cicadoidea, with only two relict species. Although they are relatively well known from Eurasia, Australia, Africa, and South America, their Mesozoic examples are typically preserved only as isolated forewings. Herein, a new genus Sanmai Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang with three new species (Sanmai kongi Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang, S. mengi Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang, and S. xuni Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang) are described based on fossil specimens from the Middle-Upper Jurassic of northeastern China, with well-preserved body structures, forewing and hindwing venations, making it the hitherto best known extinct tettigarctid taxon. The new genus, provisionally assigned to the tribe Turutanoviini, provides some new information about the evolution and palaeobiogeography of Mesozoic Tettigarctidae. The genus Paraprosbole is synonymized with Shuraboprosbole. In addition, the coloration pattern of forewing, prominent on some specimens of Sanmai kongi Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang sp. nov. and Sanmai xuni Chen, Zhang, and B. Wang sp. nov., represents a novel example of disruptive coloration in Tettigarctidae, which can effectively break up the body outline as well as surface, and so likely enabled these cicadas to reduce the detectability of potential predators.