Comments and corrections to recent taxonomic changes in cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) including revised species status, a new subspecies, a new combination, and new tribal assignments of genera

A recently published field guide to North American cicadas included some nomenclatural changes that are valid under the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature but limited evidence was provided to support most of these changes. Several of the taxonomic changes are in error and corrected here based on the application of currently accepted morphologically based higher taxonomy. The synonymy of Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis (Davis, 1938) rev. stat. and Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri (Metcalf, 1955) rev. stat. is reversed restoring the two subspecies and a new subspecies, Megatibicen pronotalis hesperius ssp. nov., is described for the third geographically distinct population identified in the field guide. Diceroprocta pusilla Davis, 1942 rev. stat. is removed from junior synonymy of Diceroprocta virgulata (Distant, 1904). Odopoea funesta (Walker, 1858) is shown to be an available species based on the descriptions in the original work and not the nomen nudum it was suggested to be. The reassignment of Herrera infuscata Sanborn, 2009 is reversed since it does not possess characteristics of the genus Chalumalna Boulard, 2001 which has been determined to be a member of the Lamotialnini Boulard, 1976. Herrera infuscata Sanborn, 2009 is transferred to Dorachosa Distant, 1892 to become Dorachosa infuscata (Sanborn, 2009) comb. nov. Morphological evidence is provided to support the synonymy of Dorachosa Distant, 1892 and Herrera Distant, 1905 along with the reassignment of Dorachosa from Taphurini Distant, 1905 to Carinetini Distant, 1905. The tentative reassignments of Herrera acclivis (Sanborn, 2017), Herrera martiniquensis (Davis, 1934), and Carineta viridicollis (Germar, 1830) to Dorachosa are confirmed. Evidence to support the tentative reassignment of Conibosa Distant, 1905 to Parnisini Distant, 1905 is provided confirming the reassignment. Pachypsaltria Stål, 1861 is shown to have been incorrectly reassigned to Carinetini in the Cicadettinae Buckton, 1890 and is reassigned to Zammarina Distant, 1905 of the Zammarini Distant, 1905 in the Cicadinae Batsch, 1789. Finally, Zammara boulardi Kratzer, 2024 is shown to be a nomen nudum.