This “stuffed animal” / plushy cicada nymph + molted cicada might be the best cicada gift ever. Why?? It is two cicadas in one! It is a nymph that unzips to reveal an adult cicada! The adult cicada is in its soft aka teneral state. Very detailed and thoughtful on the part of its creators. The website that offers it is in Japan, so you might have trouble ordering it (unless you are in Japan). I bet it is high demand!
Some details from the site (translated by Google Chrome, so there might be errors):
A cicada made from a cicada’s exoskeleton! A stuffed animal.
☆Can hatch in a reversible form!
☆Huge size!
Selling price 3,520 yen (tax included)
Category Insect plush toys
Manufacturer Eisho Co., Ltd.
[A cicada made from a cicada’s exoskeleton! A stuffed toy]
This is a reversible plush toy featuring a cicada emerging from its molted exoskeleton.
The larva is incredibly realistic with its intricate details, and its big, round eyes are adorable!
First, of all, over on the Facebook page we shared Annette DeGiovine’s 4th of July Magicicada image:
“Oh, I don’t have a Facebook”. I don’t know what to tell you. Send your parents to Facebook and have them download the photo for you. I am not in love with the site either, but it allows me to stay in touch with cicada fans and share the cicada message. There is also the Facebook Cicada Science and Discussion Group — a group I created and can moderate, but Facebook as banned me from posting to.
Check out my Cicada Fireworks posts from previous years. Fireworks makers often name fireworks after cicadas because they both “fly” and “SCREAMMMM”.
Lastly, now that we’re in July, it is time for Summer Cicadas in the U.S.A! Any Magicicada stragglers are gone, and Platypedia (the fisherman’s friend) and tiny Cicadettana have peaked. It’s time for the big Megatibicen and Neotibicen species to take the stage. Here’s a list of the most-common cicadas in the U.S.A. with photos and sounds for easy identification.
The Nanai cicadas (Raiateana knowlesi (Distant, 1907)) of Fiji are back after 8-years, and Fiji is issuing stamps to celebrate their emergence.
Update! If you want to see what the Nanai look like, visit the Cicada Discussion, Science and Study Group on Facebook and view Elias Bonaro’s 9/22 post.
Nanai cicadas are special because they have an 8-year periodical cycle. They are found in the hills of Viti Levu island of the Fiji archipelago. They are also special because of the Legend of The Nanai and their importance to Fijian culture.
How do the Nanai (Raiateana knowlesi) compare to other cicadas around the world
The Nanai are similar to Magicicada cicadas in the United States in that they have precise periodic lifecycles. Nanai have 8-year cycles and Magicicada have 13 or 17-year cycles.
Neo Scott allowed us to share his images and sound files of the cicada Huechys phaenicura. Neo Scott is a cicada expert who you should follow on iNaturalist and X. He found the Huechys phaenicura cicada species in Antique, Panay Is., Philippines. Huechys phaenicura is related to “the medicinal cicada” Huechys sanguinea, and both cicadas belong to the sub-tribe Huechysina and tribe Cicadettini.
Looks like there is a new sub-species of Megatibicen pronotalis, to go with Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis (Davis, 1938) and Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri (Metcalf, 1955) called Megatibicen pronotalis hesperiu. I am going to guess that ‘hesperiu’ refers to the Greek word for evening or western. If it’s western, maybe the hesperiu is an offshoot of M. pronotalis pronotalis.
Looking at data from Google Trends(columns) and iNaturalist(lines), it looks like 2024 will be the best year in over ten years, with 2020, 2017 and 2013 being peak years (but not the biggest). iNaturalist is also a relatively new app/website; my guess is its user base wasn’t big enough until 2019 to compare to Google Trends.
While some Green Grocers appear every year, there is a periodicity at play. With the little data below it would seem there are two 7 year groups: one 2013 to 2020, and one 2017 to 2024. I’m making assumptions.
If my boss fires me tomorrow, I’m headed to Australia.
Most of my cicada experience happens in the state of New Jersey, particularly central New Jersey (which does exist: it is comprised of Middlesex, Sommerset, Hunterdon and Mercer counties). Typically, in central and northern New Jersey, the summer cicada season will kick off in late June with the emergence of Neotibicen lyricen and end with the grinding calls of Neotibicen canicularis in the middle of September. Central New Jersey has these annual cicada species: Neotibicen lyricen (both sub-species), Neotibicen linnei, Neotibicen tibicen, Neotibicen winnemanna, Neotibicen canicularis, and possibly Megatibicen grossus in the south, and Okanagana rimosa in the north-west. Periodical cicadas are also found in the area, but not in the summer, and not in 2024.
Neotibicen tibicen aka Morning Cicadas (most call them Swamp Cicadas — I do not because it is not a helpful description) are abundant in my location and do well with both Spruce and Maple trees.
The summer of 2024 was a strange one:
I didn’t find my first Morning (Neotibicen tibicen tibicen) cicada until July 7th (about a week late), found my last one on August 9th (about two weeks early).
The last cicada I heard sing was during the last week of August, about two weeks early.
June high temperatures were 5 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than average (avg. 1991-2020), and there was 30% less precipitation. A HOT and DRY start.
July high temperatures were 2 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than average (avg. 1991-2020), and there was 20% less precipitation. A hot and DRY mid-season.
August high temps were flat, but there was +51% more precipitation. Average temperatures, and wet finale.
Neotibicen cicadas are around every where, but there are good years and great years. 2024 was not great. I don’t know if the extra HOT and dry weather had an impact, but it may have. Lots of “maybes”.
Here’s some photos of molting Neotibicen tibicen for you to enjoy:
Bladder Cicadas are out in Australia, as reported by Ben McBurney on the Facebook Cicada Science & Discussion group.
Bladder Cicadas are green, sing at night, and have large abdomens. Are they katydid mimics, or just filling the same niche? Seems like it. According to Ben they sound like frogs, so maybe they’re frog mimics as well.
The New Jersey Pine Barrens aka Pinelands or simply “Pines” is a large forested area of southern New Jersey known for its pine trees, sandy soils, culture, and history. It is called the Pine Barrens because the soil is not suitable for livestock or farming, except for acid-loving native plants like blueberries and cranberries. It is also home to a variety of carnivorous plants and orchids, rarely found elsewhere in the state. Culturally, it is known for myths like the Jersey Devil, real legends like Dr. James Still and blueberry cultivator Elizabeth Coleman White, residents known as “Pineys”, John McPhee’s book The Pine Barrens, folk music, and some of the best ice cream in New Jersey (White Dotte Dairy Bar, Evergreen Dairy Bar). The Pinelands have been the host of many industries including iron (from bog iron), charcoal, glass, timber, decorative flowers, cranberry and blueberry farming. Ecologically, the Pinelands are an oasis in a state otherwise known for sprawling condominiums, massive warehouses and industrial wastelands. Hopefully the Pinelands remains ecologically pure in the future, as it does today.
Amongst the pine trees and oaks that dominate the area, there are cicadas to match them. The heart of the Pinelands are dominated by — as you might guess — by Pitch Pine trees (Pinus rigida). White Oaks (Quercus alba) are found throughout the region, and notably around its perimeter. You’ll also find juniper trees here and there, especially in Cape May county, and deciduous trees like Maples where people settled the land and on the very edges of the region. I wonder if the screams of cicadas are mistaken for the screams of the Jersey Devil!
Caution: most of the Pinelands is protected. Do not take specimens home. Take photos and videos, but leave the cicadas in the Pinelands.
Stay alert: there are bears, rattlesnakes, deer ticks, mosquitoes and biting flies in the Pine Barrens. The area is also prone to fire, partly because of the sappy pine trees, which rely on the heat of a fire to open their cones.
Annual species:
Neocicada hieroglyphica aka the Hieroglyphic Cicada
Brood II (back in 2030): is found in Belleplain State Forest; in the area north of rt. 40 & east of rt. 54; and in Atlantic County in the Egg Harbor City area. In 1998 they were found in Stafford Forge State Conservation Area, and along rt. 70 near Leisure Village.
Brood X (back in 2038): is found east of rt. 206 south of Chatsworth Road, and Vineland.
Brood XIV (back in 2024): was found in 1988 north of rt. 70 in Manchester, and in Linwood (just outside the Pines).
News from Vivek Sarkar! A new cicada species, Becquartina bicolor, has been discovered in India.
This also marks the first time a cicada of the genus Becquartina was discovered in India.
Photos courtesy and copyright of Vivek Sarkar. Note the variation in colors.
From Vivek:
I am thrilled to share with you the latest development in our research endeavors here in India. We have recently uncovered an astonishing new cicada species from the genus, marking its inaugural appearance in India. This significant discovery was made independently within the mysterious forests of Garo Hills and Ri Bhoi district, igniting a sense of wonder in the realm of biodiversity exploration and shedding light on the untapped potential of Meghalaya’s diverse ecosystems.
As you are aware, cicadas in India have been a long-standing subject of neglect, with studies stagnating since the early 20th century. Despite boasting the world’s highest generic diversity of cicadas, their biology remains largely unexplored within India. With the unveiling of four new species in Meghalaya (including this one), alongside four additional additions to India’s cicada diversity since 2020, these forests continue to unveil new marvels.
Green Grocer Cicada image by Bron.
