2 Graptopsaltria nigrofuscatas and 1 Oncotympana maculaticollis. Photo by Osamu Hikino. Japan.
Category: Graptopsaltria
Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata is a cicada found in Japan and Korea. There are two subspecies. It is also known as Abura-zemi.
Photo by Osamu Hikino:
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Polyneurini
SubTribe: Polyneurina
Genus: Graptopsaltria
Species:
- Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata badia Kato, 1925
- Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata nigrofuscata (de Motschulsky, 1866)
For more information about this cicada, visit Cicadae in Japan.
According to iNaturalist observations this cicada is found in July and August.
Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Graptopsaltria bimaculata Kato, 1925. Formerly known as Graptopsaltria tienta. Yes, its species name as changed since 1913! It is found in China and Japan.
Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Polyneurini
SubTribe: Polyneurina
Genus: Graptopsaltria
Species: Graptopsaltria bimaculata Kato, 1925
The image says Graptopsaltria tienta but now the cicada is known as Graptopsaltria bimaculata.
Graptopsaltria genus description by W. L. Distant:
Characters. — Body robust, attenuated posteriorly; head, including eyes, narrower than the anterior lateral margins of the pronotum; ocelli wider apart from eyes than from each other; rostrum extending to about posterior coxae; pronotum with the lateral margins irregularly convex, not prominently ampliated or laminately expanded; anterior femora robustly spined; tympana practically covered ; opercula short, broad, not extending beyond basal segment of abdomen; tegmina opaque, apical areas eight, transverse vein at the base of the second apical area much curved, interior ulnar area not distinctly widened at apex; wings opaque, apical areas six.
References:
- The illustration and genus description comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1913 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Cicadinae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
- Species name information/verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
Photo: Auritibicen japonicus by Osamu Hikino.
Cicada season in Japan, like North America, seems to be best from June to September, peaking in August. Different cicada species emerge at different times of the year, but the majority of them are active during the summer.
The best website for the cicadas of Japan that I’ve come across is Cicadae in Japan which is run by Y. Saisho who co-wrote the amazing The Cicadidae of Japan book & CD.
I don’t have too many photos of cicadas from Japan on this site, but here are some of the more well known (Genus names may have changed recently):
Auritibicen flammatus (formerly Tibicen flammatus, Lyristes flammatus)
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Auritibicen japonicus (formerly Tibicen japonicus, Lyristes japonicus)
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Here’s a video from the YouTube:
Auritibicen kyushyuensis
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Hyalessa maculaticollis
Platypleura kaempferi
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Tanna japonensis
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Euterpnosia chibensis
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Yezoterpnosia nigricosta
Photo by Osamu Hikino.
Cicadas are very popular in Japan, and they find their way into pop culture (Anime, live action kids shows like Ultraman). This photo features a cicada toy when spun, makes a sound, some cicada clicker toys, a plush Oncotympana, a Seminingen (bad guy from Ultraman), and Yotsuba a green-haired girl who has caught a cicada (Lyristes japonicus perhaps):
Cicada News & Photos
The best place, I’ve found, to keep track of which cicadas are out in Japan is Twitter. You can search Twitter yourself for セミ and you’ll find many results — most Tweets are references to pop culture, but occasional photos and actual information about actual cicadas.
These are many of the Twitter feeds I follow. You don’t need to belong to Twitter to view their feeds, but it’s more fun if you join.
- ?? ?? ?????? SAISHO, Y. – the person who wrote the book on cicadas from Japan.
- Y.Kohei @YKohei3
- ????? @Cicada_Kaneko
- @cicadamania which is the twitter feed for this site
Bonus:
Here’s a video of a Yezoterpnosia nigricosta taken by Elias Bonaros:
I re-scanned some old (10+ years old) photos from Osamu Hikino.
Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata:
Platypleura kaempferi (Fabricius, 1794):
Amazing camouflage!
A male Tanna japonensis:
A male Auritibicen japonicus:
A male Auritibicen japonicus:
