The cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of Uruguay with a key to known species and comments on species of the genus Acanthoventris Ruschel including the resurrection of a previously synonymized species.

Abstract

A synoptic list and key of the cicadas of Uruguay is provided to complete the country lists of the South American cicada fauna. Fidicina gastracanthophora Berg, 1879 is shown to be a distinct species, is resurrected from junior synonymy, and reassigned to a new genus to become Acanthoventris gastracanthophora (Berg, 1879) revised status, n. comb. The species is redescribed to facilitate differentiating it in its new genus. The female of Acanthventris drewseni (Stl, 1854), the type species of the genus, is described and illustrated. The known ranges of Acanthoventris charrua Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, A. drewseni (Stl, 1854), A. iara Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, A. igneus Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023, and A. olivarius Ruschel (in Ruschel et al.), 2023 are expanded. The currently known cicada fauna for Uruguay is determined to be 12 species, 10 genera, four tribes and three subfamilies, the lowest known alpha diversity of any South American country.