Cicada Mania

Tom Lehmkuhl send us this photo of an uninvited house guest (Tibicen linnae):

Last night at about 9:30 PM I opened our back door to let our dog out and
thought I felt something brush against my leg while the door was open. Next
think I know my wife is screaming in the living room as a cicada is bombing
around the room like a drunk pilot! It’s amazing how big a cicada looks
when it is flying indoors, bouncing off of your walls, wings buzzing…

After several passes within a few inches of my wife’s head, he (she?) came
to rest on our kitchen floor. Carefully using a small glass and a post card
I was able to capture the cicada and set it free. The next morning he was
right where I left him the night before, sitting on our porch, so it seemed
like a good opportunity to snap a photo. See attached…

Ben sent us these photos of a Tibicen taken in Davenport Iowa. Anyone want to venture a guess at the exact species?

Anyone want to try to guess at the species of this Tibicen? The photo was taken by Don in Michigan. My guess is T. davisi, but I’m almost just as sure that I’m wrong.

2007 was a very busy year for cicadas in the Midwest. The Brood XIII Magicicada periodic cicadas emerged much to everyone’s joy (or disgust). Magicicadas aren’t the only cicadas emerging in North America this year, in fact, there are many types of cicadas that emerge in North America every year all over North America.

The Tibicen is the genus of annual cicada most people are familiar with.

Here are some general details about Tibicen:

• They emerge every summer. They do not emerge in broods.
• They emerge in small numbers (small relative to periodical cicadas).
• They are timid and elusive compared to periodical cicadas.
• Most are physically larger than periodical cicadas.
• They are well camouflaged: their colors and patterns of colors help to hide them in their surroundings. They look like little military vehicles, IMHO.
• Colloquial names for Tibicens: August Dry Birds, Dog Day cicadas, Harvest Flies, Jar Flies, Bush Cicada (Tibicen dorsatus, formerly T. dorsata)

The Tibicen is the genus of annual cicada most people are familiar with.

Here are some general details about Tibicen:

• They emerge every summer. They do not emerge in broods.
• They emerge in small numbers (small relative to periodical cicadas).
• They are timid and elusive compared to periodical cicadas.
• Most are physically larger than periodical cicadas.
• They are well camouflaged: their colors and patterns of colors help to hide them in their surroundings. They look like little military vehicles, IMHO.
• Colloquial names for Tibicens: August Dry Birds, Dog Day cicadas, Harvest Flies, Jar Flies, Bush Cicada (Tibicen dorsata)

Some cool Tibicen posts and pages you should check out:

• Cicada researcher Kathy Hill’s photo of 18 different Tibicen species.
• It is possible to identify Tibicen just after they have molted: a visual tool to identify freshly molted Tibicens by Paul Krombholz
• Tibicen anatomy page (offsite link).
• Macro videos of a Tibicen by Roy Troutman
• My Tibicen photos, including Marvin, the CicadaMania mascot.
• All Tibicen posts on this website.
• All Tibicen galleries.

An image from Roy Troutman:

Tibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera)

Here’s a cicada photo from Jim Kost. I like the black stipe on the beak.

Visit Jim’s Flickr album to see more and larger cicada photos.

Todd Quinn send us some superb Tibicen photos. Click the photos below to see huge versions.

This photo is incredible. Check out the detail on the eyes!

All Tibicen photos from Todd Quinn.

Catherine M from sent us these photos of a Tibicen entering the adulthood.

Patrick Farr sent us this cool picture of two adult cicadas climbing on his hand. They’re Tibicens, but I’m not sure of the species (maybe pruinosus).

Marsha M. sent us this photo of a Tibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera) from New Jersey! Read more about it on her blog.