Tettigarctidae

Definition

A relict family of primitive cicadas (Hemiptera) distinguished by dense body hair, reduced tymbal organs, and a fossil record extending to the Late Triassic. The family contains a single extant genus, Tettigarcta, with two living species restricted to southern Australia and Tasmania, plus more than 20 extinct genera. Tettigarctidae are the closest living relatives of the true cicadas (Cicadidae), together forming the superfamily Cicadoidea.

Etymology

From genus Tettigarcta + -idae (family suffix)

Example

The hairy cicada Tettigarcta crinita, endemic to Tasmania, is one of only two extant species in Tettigarctidae and retains plesiomorphic traits such as operculate tymbals not fully exposed as in modern cicadas.

Synonyms

• hairy cicadas (common name)

Related Terms

• Cicadidae
• Cicadoidea
• Tettigarcta
• Hemiptera
• relict taxon
• tymbal
• Paraneoptera

Usage Notes

Sometimes treated as a subfamily Tettigarctinae within Cicadidae in older classifications; modern phylogenetics supports family rank. The extinct genus Shuraboprosbole is occasionally placed in Tettigarctidae but sometimes assigned to the separate family Cicadoprosbolidae. The family's relict status makes it significant for understanding cicada evolution and Gondwanan biogeography.