Platypleura divisa is an African cicada first described by Ernst Friedrich Germar, entomologist and professor of mineralogy at Halle, who also studied beetles.

The genus Platypleura occurs widely across Africa and southern Asia.

Some of the South African species are remarkable for their endothermic thermoregulation that enables crepuscular signalling, an adaptation that reduces risk of predation and enables a greater range for their calls.

[1] Platypleura divisa is even more noteworthy in that it has been collected only from one species of foodplant, the small tree Maytenus heterophylla.

[2] The closely related coastal species P. maytenophila shares its strong bond with Maytenus heterophylla, but is distinguishable by a quite different call.