''Tryella'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of 14 species of

cicada The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into tw ...

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 Unpublished data confirmed it was quite genetically distant from the other 14 species and so it was classified in a new monotypic genus '' Aleeta'', while the others were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 Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

''tryelis'' " ladle" and relates to the ladle-shaped uncal lobes of the species in the genus. 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. Phylogenetic evidence supports ''Tryella'' and ''Aleeta'' as being the closest relatives to the famous

periodical cicadas The term periodical cicada is commonly used to refer to any of the seven species of the genus ''Magicicada'' of eastern North America, the 13- and 17-year cicadas. They are called periodical because nearly all individuals in a local population ...

(genus ''

Magicicada The term periodical cicada is commonly used to refer to any of the seven species of the genus ''Magicicada'' of eastern North America, the 13- and 17-year cicadas. They are called periodical because nearly all individuals in a local population a ...

'') of North America despite being widely geographically separated from them.

Species

The

type species In zoological nomenclature, a type species (''species typica'') is the species name with which the name of a genus or subgenus is considered to be permanently taxonomically associated, i.e., the species that contains the biological type specime ...

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. *'' Tryella rubra'' - Large Rusty Bullet *'' Tryella adela'' *'' Tryella ochra'' *'' Tryella burnsi'' - Brown Buzzing Bullet *'' Tryella castanea'' *'' Tryella crassa'' - Dusky Bullet *'' Tryella graminea'' - Grass Buzzing Bullet *'' Tryella infuscata'' *'' Tryella kauma'' *'' Tryella lachlani'' *'' Tryella noctua'' *'' Tryella occidens'' *'' Tryella stalkeri'' *'' Tryella willsi'' - Black Buzzing Bullet

Distribution and habitat

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

Behaviour

Male ''Tryella'' cicadas call during the day and dusk. Adults emerge from pupation after monsoonal rain. They characteristically sit facing downwards on branches, of generally less than in diameter. One species, ''T. graminea'', is found on grass.

References

Hemiptera of Australia Lamotialnini Cicadidae genera {{Cicadidae-stub