This one I can’t figure out, mostly because it’s well dead. Sheri T. took the photo.
The yellow eyes might be due to its postmortem condition, but they do make the specimen interesting.
August 29, 2007
August 25, 2007
ID the Tibicen
Brian Baldwin sent over some cicada photos for an ID. Here’s my guesses (below). If you have a more accurate guess, post it in the Comments.
T. dorsatus (formerly T. dorsata):
At first I thought T. walkeri, but now I’m leaning towards Brain’s guess of T. superbus. This would be the first superbus with a brown mesonotum that I’ve ever seen.:
T. dealbatus (formerly dealbata):
August 19, 2007
The cicadas of different species that live in OntÃgola (Toledo) Spain
Ivan is back with for cicada video from Spain.
Update: here are the corresponding photos.
August 18, 2007
Princeton Brood X cicadas: extended version
I took some time and extended and edited my Brood X Magicicada video from 2004 in Princeton, NJ:
4:32 minutes of cicadas.
August 17, 2007
Tibicens
I snagged a couple of Tibicen today.
A colorful Tibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera):
and a, um… lyricen, maybe (I’ve never seen one quite like this):
They were still moving a little when I took the photos.
Collecting and Photographing Cicadas
Gerry Bunker has published an online guide to Pinning, Labeling and Preserving Your Cicadas. This is excellent information if you plan to start a collection.
If you would rather photograph cicadas instead, read How to Photograph Bugs and Insects. Over the years Roy Troutman has supplied Cicada Mania with many excellent macro photos of cicadas. Fans of macro photography will also appreciate these photos by Todd Quinn, Vic Fazio’s Tibicen dorsatus and my Tibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera).
And just for the heck of it, here’s a list of insect ID websites:
Bug Guide, Insect Identification, What’s that Bug, and Insect Identifier.
Normally I can get the ID of a cicada fairly quickly, thanks to folks like Gerry and Paul Krombholz. Aside from Locusts, the insect most people confuse with cicadas is the Sphinx Moth.