Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada

Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada aka Bush Cicada.

Fully sclerotized M. dorsatus from Bill Reynolds’ collection.

Teneral M. dorsatus by Greg Holmes.

See all Megatibicen dorsatus images & information on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: M. dorsatus

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Name, Location and Description

• Cicada Name: Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)
• Short Name: M. dorsatus
• Common Name: Bush Cicada or Grand Western or Giant Grassland Cicada
• Synonym/Former Name: Tibicen dorsatus
• When: July-September. Peaks in August.
• Where it is found: AR, CO, ID, IL, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY
• Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
• Description: Rust/orange, black & white pruinosity, which forms distinct markings, such as a line of white dots down the dorsal side of the abdomen. Sounds like N. tremulus. Has a call that sounds like a rapid series of clicks.
• Eye Color: beige to brown
• Pronotal Collar Color: light orange
• Identification: Bug Guide
• Identification: iNaturalist
• Subject Matter Expert website: Annual Cicadas of Arkansas
• Image: Insect Images
• Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
• Song: Song

Habitat notes from ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS by Wm T. Davis ¹

Dr. Raymond H. Beamer, in an account of his collecting trip in Kansas in 1916, writes that dorsata was the most widely spread and abundant species taken. It was commonly found on low shrubs or weeds and grass, often on barren hill tops.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)

List of sources

1. Davis, W.T. 1921. ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. XXIX, No. I.
2. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
3. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
4. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
5. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

Notes:

• Some descriptions are based on aged specimens which have lost some or a lot of their color.