The oldest African putative Prosbolidae (Insecta, Hemiptera)
Abstract
Karooprosbole magnifica gen. et sp. nov., oldest African cicadomorphan Prosbolidae, is described from middle Permian
deposits (Abrahamskraal Formation, Karoo Supergoup) at the Onder Karoo locality in South Africa. It is compared
to the genera currently included in Prosbolidae but also those in the Tettigarctidae: Cicadoprosbolinae. The limits and
definitions of the two groups are discussed, because the new taxon has diagnostic characters of venation common to
both groups. Also, some characters currently used to define these groups are clearly subject to homoplasy. This suggests
that a phylogenetic analysis of the whole extant and fossil Cicadomorpha is needed to better define these families and
verify their monophyly.