Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790)

Dataset
GBIF Backbone Taxonomy: Rank
SPECIES: Published in
Olivier, G.A. (1790b) Cigale, Cicada. Encyclopédie méthodique: Histoire naturelle: Insectes. Panckoucke. Paris. 5, 735–760.

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Classification

kingdom
Animalia: phylum
Arthropoda: class
Insecta: order
Hemiptera: family
Cicadidae: genus
Quesada: species
Quesada gigas

discussion

Remarks. The type locality of Java is a mistake. The species is found over most of the New World (Sanborn & Heath 2014). The undetermined species of Quesada in Wolda (1977) is Q. gigas as it was found with Q. gigas and the other species of the genus has only been recorded from Brazil and Peru (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Sanborn 2013). Quesada gigas is the largest of the Panamanian cicadas with body lengths up to 45 mm and wingspans of 120 mm reported (Sanborn & Heath 2017). The body is brown marked with piceous. The male abdomen is widest at segments 3 and 4, male timbal covers recurve along the posterior timbal cavity forming a ribbon-like structure posterior to the timbals with a small triangular extension laterally. This is a dry season cicada (Wolda 1989). The species calls at dawn, during the day and at dusk in Panama (Wolda 1993) similar to the pattern described for the species in Argentina (Sanborn et al. 1995). Males emerge earlier than females (Wolda & Ramos 1992). The song sounds like a whistle.

distribution

Distribution. The species may have the most extensive north to south range of any cicada species. It has been reported from as far south as central Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Antilles, the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, extending to the southern United States (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Maccagnan & Martinelli 2011; Sanborn 2011 b; 2013; 2014; Maccagnan et al. 2014; 2017; Monteiro et al. 2014; Sanborn & Heath 2014; Reis et al. 2015; Oliveira et al. 2017). The species has been reported from Las Cumbres, 15 km north of Panama City (Wolda 1989), and Las Cumbres, Province of Panama, 150 m altitude in secondary growth forest (Wolda & Ramos 1992) in Panama.

discussion

REMARKS. The type locality of Java is a mistake. The species is found over most of the New World (Sanborn & Heath 2014).

distribution

DISTRIBUTION. The species may have the most extensive north to south range of any cicada species. It has been reported from as far south as central Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Antilles, the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, extending to the southern United States (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Maccagnan & Martinelli 2011; Sanborn 2011 b; 2013; 2014 a; 2018 c; Maccagnan et al. 2014; 2017; Monteiro et al. 2014; Sanborn & Heath 2014; Reis et al. 2015; Oliveira et al. 2017).

materials_examined

MATERIAL EXAMINED. “ BOLIVIA, STA. / CRUZ, Caranda / 6317 Bc / 29 – XI – 1977 // C. R. Ward, R. Noya / & H. Serrate a luz ” one female (BYUC); “ BOLIVIA: Prov. Andrés Ibáñez / Dept. de Santa Cruz, 1,369 ft. / Potrerillos del Guenda / W. of Santa Cruz // Dec. 13 / 15, 2009 at MV & BL / S- 17.67089 º / W- 63.45761 º / N. J. Smith, A. J. Gilbert, & / J. Aramayo Bejarano ” one female (UCDC); “ BOLIVIA: Sta. Cruz, / Ichilo, Buena Vista / 2 Oct 1994, 400 m. / R. Ward, m. v. light ” one male (CMNH); “ Prov. del Sara / Bolivia, 450 m. / J. Steinbach ” // Carn. Mus. / Acc. 6443. ” four males and one female (CMNH); “ BOLIVIA: Santa Cruz, 3.7 km / SSE Buena Vista, Hotel Flora / & Fauna Hotel, 430 m, 14 – 19 – X – / 2000, coll. M. C. Thomas / tropical transition forest ” one male (AFSC); “ Bolivia / Santa Cruz XII – 90 / G. Tognan ” one male (AFSC).

discussion

REMARKS. — The type locality of Java is a mistake. The species is found over most of and is restricted to the New World (Sanborn & Heath 2014; 2017). Quesada gigas is one of if not the largest of the Ecuadorian cicadas with body lengths up to 45 mm and wingspans of 120 mm having been reported (Sanborn & Heath 2017). The body is brown marked with piceous, the male abdomen is widest at segments 3 and 4, and male timbal covers recurve along the posterior timbal cavity forming a ribbon-like structure posterior to the timbals with a small triangular extension laterally. The song sounds like a steam whistle.

distribution

DISTRIBUTION. — This species may have the most extensive north to south range of any cicada species. It has been reported from as far south as central Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Antilles, the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, extending northward into the southern United States (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Maccagnan & Martinelli 2011; Sanborn 2011 b; 2013; 2014 a; 2018 c; 2019 b; 2020 b, d, e; Maccagnan et al. 2014; Monteiro et al. 2014; Sanborn & Heath 2014; Reis et al. 2015; Maccagnan et al. 2017; Oliveira et al. 2017). The species is identified from Ecuador with no specific locality in Jacobi (1907 a). Goding (1925) reported the species from Surula and Macas in Morona Santiago province.

discussion

Remarks. The type locality of Java is a mistake. The species is found over most of the tropical and subtropical New World (Sanborn & Heath 2014; 2017). Quesada gigas is another of the large Trinidadian cicadas with body lengths up to 45 mm and wingspans of 120 mm having been reported (Sanborn & Heath 2017). The head width across the eyes is narrower than pronotum and about as wide as the mesonotum, head distinctly triangular with anterior extension of postclypeus, lateral pronotum convergent anteriorly in dorsal view, lateral pronotal collar narrower laterally than dorsally, timbal covers recurve along posterior timbal cavity forming ribbon-like structure posterior to timbals with small triangular extension laterally exposing majority of timbal, male abdomen widest at segments 3 and 4, proximal wing venation ground color, and infuscation found only on the radial and radiomedial crossveins easily distinguish it from Majeorona aper. Fidicinoides descampsi can be distinguished by the stout body and the infuscation found along the ambient vein, distal apical cell veins, and connecting across all crossveins of the fore wings and hind wings. The song sounds like a steam whistle. Their ability to call at dusk is due to the endothermy exhibited by the species (Sanborn et al. 1995). Davis (1944) reported emergence times for the species during February and March on Tobago.

distribution

Distribution. This species may have the most extensive north to south range of any cicada species. It has been reported from as far south as central Argentina, expanding across South and Central America with records from Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Antilles, the West Indies, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, extending northward into the southern Texas in the United States (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Maccagnan & Martinelli 2011; Sanborn 2011 b; 2013; 2014; 2018; 2019 a; 2020 b, d; Maccagnan et al. 2014; Monteiro et al. 2014; Sanborn & Heath 2014; Reis et al. 2015; Maccagnan et al. 2017; Oliveira et al. 2017). References for the species in Trinidad and or Tobago by Mathew (1875), Distant (1881 a), Uhler (1892), Davis (1944), Maes (1998), Sanborn & Heath (2014), and Sanborn (2018) are provided with no specific locality information.

materials_examined

Material examined. “ Petit Valley / TRINIDAD / Station No. 1 / 10 June 1970 // T. E. Rogers / Coll. ” one female (FSCA); “ TRINIDAD / Talparo / V. 24 – VI. 7.1990 / H. L. Dozier ” one male (AFSC).

discussion

REMARKS. The type locality of Java is a mistake. The species is found over most of the New World (Sanborn 2011 a, b; 2013; 2014 a; 2018 b; 2019 b; Sanborn & Heath 2014; 2017). Quesada gigas is one of the largest of Peruvian cicadas. Body lengths up to 45 mm and wingspans of 120 mm have been reported for the species (Sanborn & Heath 2017). The body is tawny marked with piceous, the male abdomen is widest at segments 3 and 4, and the male timbal covers recurve along the posterior timbal cavity forming a ribbon-like structure posterior to the timbals with a small triangular extension laterally. The pure-tone song sounds like a whistle and is primarily produced at dawn and dusk. The species is able to remain active without access to solar radiation through endothermic heat production to maintain body temperature (Sanborn et al. 1995 b). The lack of infuscation on the proximal and distal radius anterior 2, proximal median vein 1, medial crossvein and mediocubital crossvein of the fore wing quickly distinguish it from Q. sodalis (Walker, 1850).

distribution

DISTRIBUTION. This species may have the most extensive north to south range of any cicada species ranging from southern Texas to central Argentina. It has been reported from as far south as central Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Antilles, the West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago, Uruguay, Venezuela, extending to the southern United States (Metcalf 1963 a; Duffels & van der Laan 1985; Maccagnan & Martinelli 2011; Sanborn 2011 b; 2013; 2014 a; 2018 b; 2019 b; Maccagnan et al. 2014; 2017; Monteiro et al. 2014; Sanborn & Heath 2014; Reis et al. 2015; Oliveira et al. 2017). Jacobi (1951) reported the species from Satipo, Peru. Pogue (1996) reported the species from Pakitza and Tambopata.

materials_examined

MATERIAL EXAMINED. “ PERU: San Martin Dept. / Moyabamba, vic. / Ecológico “ Rumipata ” / 13 – 18 - X- 2012 J. E. Eger // S 06 º 04 ’ 32.0 ”, W / 076 º 58 ’ 07.5 ” 970 / m, MV & UV Light ” one male and one female (FSCA); “ PERU: San Martin Dept. / Tarapoto, vic. Cordillera / Escalera Lodge, 432 m / 11 – 13 - X- 2012 J. E. Eger // S 06 º 28 ’ 08.1 ” / W 076 º 21 ’ 16.4 ” / MV & UV Light ” four males and one female (FSCA); “ Peru, Yurimaguas / nr. Huallaga riv. / VIII. 1988; S. Hoagland ” one male (AFSC).

Name

Synonyms: Cicada consonans Walker, 1850; Cicada gigas Olivier, 1790; Cicada sonans Walker, 1850; Cicada triupsilon Walker, 1850; Cicada triypsilon Dohrn, 1859; Cicada triypsilon Walker, 1850; Cicada trupsilon Walker, 1850; Cicada vibrans Walker, 1850; Tympanoterpes gigas (Olivier, 1790); Tympanoterpes sibilantis Berg, 1879; Tympanoterpes sibilantis Kobayasi, 1939; Tympanoterpes sibilatrix Berg, 1879; Tympanoterpis sibilantes Berg, 1879
Homonyms: Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790)

Bibliographic References

Metcalf, Z. P., 1963: Fascicle VIII: Cicadoidea, Part 1: Cicadidae, In Two Sections, Section I: Tibiceninae. General Catalogue of the Homoptera. 1-492.
Sanborn, Allen F., 2006: New records for the cicada fauna from four Central American countries (Hemiptera: Cicadoidea: Cicadidae). The Florida Entomologist, vol. 89, no. 1. 75-79.
Sanborn, Allen F., 2007: Additions to the cicada fauna of Venezuela with the description of a new species and checklist of the Venezuelan cicada fauna (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadidae). Zootaxa, no. 1503. 21-32.
Sanborn, Allen F., 2007: New species, new records and checklist of cicadas from Mexico (Hemiptera: Cicadomorpha: Cicadidae). Zootaxa, no. 1651. 1-42.
Sanborn, Allen F., 2010: The cicadas of Colombia including new records and the description of a new species (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). Journal of Natural History, vol. 44, nos. 25-26. 1577-1607.