Tryella

Tryella
Tryella graminea
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Auchenorrhyncha
Family:	Cicadidae
Subfamily:	Cicadettinae
Tribe:	Lamotialnini
Genus:	Tryella Moulds, 2003
Type species
Tryella ochra
Synonyms [1]
Tyrella Moulds, 2003

Tryella willsi, Australia

Tryella is a genus of 14 species of cicada found in Australia and New Guinea. For many years, the members were classified in the genus Abricta . However, recent review of the genus has shown it to be a disparate group of species, and the Australian members moved to other genera. S.M. Moulds conducted a morphological analysis of the genus and found the cicadas split naturally into clades according to biogeographical region. Of the 15 Australian species, the floury baker was the earliest offshoot. Unpublished data confirmed it was quite genetically distant from the other 14 species and so it was classified in a new monotypic genus Aleeta , while the others were placed in the genus Tryella. The genus name is derived from the Ancient Greek tryelis "ladle" and relates to the ladle-shaped uncal lobes of the species in the genus. ^[2]

The group are commonly called bullets, the name derived from markings behind their heads, which together with their compact bodies make them resemble bullets while in flight. ^[3]

Phylogenetic evidence supports Tryella and Aleeta as being the closest relatives to the famous periodical cicadas (genus Magicicada ) of North America despite being widely geographically separated from them. ^[4]

Species

The type species is Tryella ochra . Within the group, cladistic morphological analysis showed T. rubra to be the earliest offshoot within the genus. The relationships between other species was not able to be clarified. ^[2]

The following species belong to the genus Tryella. ^{[5] [6]}

• Tryella adela Moulds, 2003 (Northern Territory)
• Tryella burnsi Moulds, 2003 (Queensland) - brown buzzing bullet
• Tryella castanea (Distant, 1905) (Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia)
• Tryella crassa Moulds, 2003 (Northern Territory, Queensland) - dusky bullet
• Tryella fumipennis Emery, Emery, Hutchinson & Ong, 2022 (Western Australia)
• Tryella graminea Moulds, 2003 (Northern Territory, Queensland) - grass buzzing bullet
• Tryella infuscata Moulds, 2003 (Northern Territory, Queensland)
• Tryella kauma Moulds, 2003 (Queensland)
• Tryella lachlani Moulds, 2003 (Queensland, Papua New Guinea)
• Tryella noctua (Distant, 1913) (Western Australia)
• Tryella occidens Moulds, 2003 (Western Australia)
• Tryella ochra Moulds, 2003 (Northern Territory, Queensland)
• Tryella rubra (Goding & Froggatt, 1904) (Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland) - large rusty bullet
• Tryella stalkeri (Distant, 1907) (Western Australia)
• Tryella willsi (Distant, 1882) (Queensland) - black buzzing bullet
• Tryella wuggubun Emery, Emery, Hutchinson & Ong, 2022 (Western Australia)

Distribution and habitat

The species are found across eastern, central and northern Australia, and southwestern New Guinea, predominantly on trees, especially eucalypti. ^[2]

Behaviour

Male Tryella cicadas call during the day and dusk. Adults emerge from pupation after monsoonal rain. ^[2] They characteristically sit facing downwards on branches, ^[3] of generally less than 5 cm (2.0 in) in diameter. ^[2] One species, T. graminea, is found on grass. ^[2]

References

1. "ITIS report, Tryella" . Retrieved 2024-12-03.
2. Moulds, Maxwell Sydney (2003). "An appraisal of the cicadas of the genus Abricta Stål and allied genera (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha: Cicadidae)" (PDF). Records of the Australian Museum. 55 (3): 245–304. doi:10.3853/j.0067-1975.55.2003.1386. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-12-04. Retrieved 2013-06-05.
3. Popple, Lindsay (2006). "Genus Tryella Moulds, 2003 (Bullets)". The cicadas of central eastern Australia. University of Queensland. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
4. Marshall, David C.; Moulds, Max; Hill, Kathy B. R.; Price, Benjamin W.; Wade, Elizabeth J.; Owen, Christopher L.; Goemans, Geert; Marathe, Kiran; Sarkar, Vivek; Cooley, John R.; Sanborn, Allen F. (2018-05-28). "A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification" . Zootaxa. 4424 (1): 1–64. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4424.1.1. ISSN   1175-5334. PMID   30313477.
5. Dmitriev, D.A. (2024). "World Auchenorrhyncha Database" . Retrieved 2024-08-20.
6. "Australian Faunal Directory, Genus Tryella Moulds, 2003" . Retrieved 2024-12-03.