Cicada Mania contributor Paul Krombholz heard a cicada just a few days ago.

On Nov. 21st the temperature got up to 80 and I heard a T. figuratus [formerly T. figurata] singing. This is by far the latest cicada song I have heard in the Jackson, MS and surrounding area. We have already had several frosts. Usually I hear the last song the first week of November.

Cicadas in late November in the U.S.A. — that’s remarkable.

Here’s two more Cicadetta calliope photographed by Paul. Note the different eye colors.

Here are 2 photos of a Cicadetta calliope (formerly Melampsalta calliope) taken by Paul Krombholz. Paul caught several individuals in late May in a field of mixed grasses and dicot weeds near Jackson, Mississippi. These little cicadas are around 20 mm long from head to wing tips.

Here’s a break in the Magicicada mania: a Diceroprocta vitripennis. This photo was taken by Cicada Mania regular Paul Krombholz in Jackson Mississippi just last week. Cicadas like Diceroprocta vitripennis are annual cicadas: they emerge each year in small numbers, and as you can see, they rely on camouflage for survival. Annual cicadas are also quite shy compared to the periodic Magicicadas — they have very different life strategies. American annual cicadas rely on stealth and cunning to survive while searching for a mate. Periodic cicadas rely on the fact that there are so many of them, that some will always survive to carry on the species.

Notes from Paul:

I am continuing this season to try to get pictures of all the cicadas in the
Jackson, Mississippi area. I just got a female specimen of Diceroprocta
vitripennis. I found it in low vegetation on a sand bar next to the Pearl
River. Thanks to John Davis and the collectors at the Mississippi Museum of
Science for the tip on where to look for them! From head to wing tips, it
is 38 mm, but the wings of this species are longer in relation to body
length than those of Tibicens. Body length of this vitripennis was only
22mm.

More Diceroprocta vitripennis photos from Paul.

Tibicen season is officially over in central Mississippi. Here’s some great side view photos from Paul Krombholz.

Click the small images for larger versions:

See more of Paul’s Tibicen photos.

Paul Krombholz has an interesting question about Tibicen identification.

In Kathy Hill’s picture of 18 species, T. canicularis looks quite different from T. davisi, but I have at least one T. davisi, captured in my back yard, that looks very similar to three canicularis individuals I caught in Northern Illinois a couple of weeks ago. The canicularis individuals all have the white “hip” spots and none of my davisi have them have them. T. davisi has a slightly larger head. The big question is, What features reliably distinguish the two species considering all the variety seen within species?

Paul Krombholz has come through with an awesome guide to identifying Tibicens just after they have molted. Click the image below for an even larger version.

Notes on the species from Paul:

T. pruinosus [formerly T. pruinosa]—Newly molted adult has darker mesonotum (top of mesothorax) than the very common T. chloromera. Abdomen is a golden orange color. Older adult has dark olive on lateral sides of mesonotum, lighter green below the “arches”.

T. pronotalis (formerly walkeri, marginalis)—Quite large. The reddish brown color can be seen on the mesonotum of newly molted adult. Older adult has solid green pronotum (top of prothorax) and red-brown markings on sides of mesonotum. Below the “arches” the mesonotum color can range from carmel to green. Head is black between the eyes.

T. tibicen [T. chloromerus, T. chloromera]—has large, swollen mesonotum, quite pale in a newly molted adult and almost entirely black in an older adult. Individuals from east coast can have large russet patches on sides of mesonotum. The white, lateral :”hip patches” on the anteriormost abdominal segment are always present, but the midline white area seen in my picture is sometimes absent.

T. davisi—Small. This is a variable species, but all have an oversized head which is strongly curved, giving it a ‘hammerhead’ appearance. Newly molted individuals are usually brown with blueish wing veins that will become brown, but some have more green in wing veins. Some may have pale mesonotums that will become mostly black. Older adults vary from brownish to olive to green markings on pronotum and mesonotum.

T. figuratus [formerly T. figurata]—a largish entirely brown cicada. Newly molted adult has a pink-brown coloration with some blueish hints. Older adult has chestnut-brown markings and no green anywhere. Head is not very wide in relation to the rest of the body. The small cell at the base of the forewing is black.

T. auletes—a large, wide-bodied cicada. Newly molted adult is very green, but the older adult loses most of the green, usually retaining an olive posterior flange of the pronotum. The dorsal abdomen of the adult has a lot of powdery white on the anterior and posterior segments with a darker band inbetween.

Paul Krombholz has discovered some interesting variations in the Tibicen davisi cicadas. I’m quoting Paul’s email in its entirety below.

Here is the composite photo showing variation in Tibicen davisi. The
additional one I wanted to add turned out not to be as dark as I thought,
but it has a different pattern. All these came from the trees in my
backyard in central Mississippi this season. Colors on the dorsal (top)
side vary from dark brown to green. Perhaps the most typical is the “olive”
one in the middle. On the ventral (bottom) side, the black abdominal stripe
varies from very wide to non-existent. Variation in the size of the black
abdominal stripe is not related to the color on the dorsal side, as I have
seen absolutely no abdominal stripe on both a greenish one and a very dark
brown one.

Davis described a variety of T. davisi—T davisi var. hardeni—which has
little or no abdominal stripe. However, it also has darkening next to the
wing veins of the seven marginal cells as in T. superbus
(http://static.flickr.com/31/60751246_f60d00e2a9.jpg?v=0), While its upper
side is “less rusty” than the typical T. davisi, its underside is also
green. (Dr. Alan Sanborn, personal communication). Since my examples only
vary as to the “greenness” of the upper side and to the size of the
abdominal stripe, none of them fit completely the description of var.
hardeni. If anyone finds a T. davisi that meets the description of var.
hardeni, I think Dr. Sanborn would like to know about it.

NEW! Paul Krombholz’s Tibicens. Tibicen species of the Jackson Mississippi area.

NEW!Michel Chantraine Cicada Gallery #3. Includes: Macrosemia chantrainei,
Bacquartina electa, Becquartina versicolor, Orientopsaltria beaudouini, Pomponia dolosa, Platypleura mira,
Platypleura mokensis, Pomponia imperatoria

NEW! Michel Chantraine Cicada Gallery #2. Includes: Ayuthia spectabile,
Ambragaeana ambra, Formotosena montivaga, Dundubia spiculata, Gaeana cheni, Tosena Paviei,
Hueshy sanguinea, Cryptotympana mandarina, Cryptotympana aquila, Macrosemia tonkiniana

NEW! Michel Chantraine Cicada Gallery #1. Includes: Pomponia intermedia,
Salvazana mirabilis, Tosena splendida, Angamiana floridula, Tosena albata, Gaeana festiva,
Gaeana festiva orange form, Platylomia radah, Salvazana mirabilis form imperialis, Tailanga binghami