Paper title: Description of three new species of the genus Mata Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Oncotympanini) with notes on their natural history from the Indian state of Meghalaya, India
Authors: Vivek Sarkar, Cuckoo Mahapatra, Pratyush P. Mohapatra, Manoj V. Nair, Krushnamegh Kunte
Abstract: “Three new species of the Asian genus Mata Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) viz. Mata lenonia sp.nov.; Mata ruffordii sp.nov. and Mata meghalayana sp.nov. are described from the Indian state of Meghalaya. Keys and taxonomic descriptions of these species are provided with detailed accounts of their natural history and acoustics.”
This page features information about common cicadas of Australia researchers, and websites dedicated to the cicadas of Australia. Australia has the best cicada names!
Bladder Cicada (Cystosoma saundersii)
The Bladder Cicada can be sound in eastern Queensland & NSW1, can be found September-January, peaking in October2. It is called a Bladder Cicada because of its large abdomen.
Cherrynose or Whiskey Drinker (Macrotristria angularis)
The Cherry Nose cicada can be found in Eastern Queensland, NSW, and a small part of South Australia, and is found November-February1, but is most common in December2.
The Redeye cicada can be found in eastern NSW, Victoria, and Tasmania, and are most abundant in late November and December1, but can be found until February2.
Four new cicadas described in Australia! Here are the details:
Paper: Four new species of cicadas in the Yoyetta abdominalis (Distant) species group (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadettinae) from southeastern Australia
Abstract:
Four new species are added to the Yoyetta abdominalis (Distant) species group: Y. douglasi sp. nov., Y. enigmatica sp. nov., Y. loftyensis sp. nov., and Y. ngarabal sp. nov. Calling song descriptions and morphological descriptions are provided for each species. An updated key to male specimens is also provided for the species group.
Here is a snapshot of one of the newly described Australian #cicadas, Yoyetta enigmatica. An elusive beast that calls mainly in flight at altitudes above 800m, from border of Queensland/New South Wales south to Hunter region. https://t.co/MPnUlkDFsopic.twitter.com/9bjyVr7a1W
Many periodical cicadas emerged four years early in the Chicago area in 2020. These cicadas belong to the Brood XIII (13) which is set to emerge in 2024, and last emerged in 2007. Periodical cicadas often emerge in years proceeding or following the year their brood is expected to emerge. This phenomenon is called straggling. Most of the time these “stragglers” emerge in small numbers and are quickly eaten by predators, and do not go on to sing, chorus (synchronized singing for the purpose of attracting females), mate, and lay eggs. Sometimes they emerge in numbers large enough to survive, chorus, and reproduce — this seems to have happened in the Chicago area in 2020. It is thought this is how new broods formed over the millennia — cicadas emerge 4 or 1 year early in significant numbers and form a new brood. When enough stragglers emerge to successfully reproduce it is called an acceleration.
So, is a new brood forming around Chicago? Is this due to climate change or localized “heat islands”? Will the progeny of these stragglers emerge in 13, 17 or 21 years? Lots of questions — but we’ll need to wait quite some time to answer them.
There is a precedence for Brood XIII cicadas straggling in the Chicago area:
In 1969 massive numbers of periodical cicadas emerged in the Chicago suburbs 1 (Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. 1995).
In 1986, another 4-year acceleration was observed in the Chicago area by Monte Lloyd 1.
In 2003, many people left observations on our forums. Observations were made in Glenview, Flossmoor, Riverside, Downers Grove, Homewood, Westmont, Oak Park, and Hinsdale. Here are some examples:
Magicicada emerging this evening
Date: Wednesday, Jun/4/2003
As I went for a walk this evening I noticed quite a few periodic cicadas emerging in the grass, crawling on the sidewalks and on the trunks of trees. This is not our year for the 17-year brood. We should not have them until 2007. Has anyone else in the Chicago area seen these cicadas? — Sue, Flossmoor, IL
Cicada singing
Date: Monday, Jun/9/2003
I heard the cicadas singing for the first time this morning after my walk. Now that I have my doors open I can hear them on and off. — Sue, Flossmoor, IL
In 2020 many people left comments on the Brood XIII page, emailed us (thanks Neil) and left sightings via the Cicada Safari app.
Alerts: Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) emerge in 2024. The last time these broods co-emerged was 1803.April 11th: Magicicada cicadas have begun to emerge. Little by little and before you know it the full emergences will begin.
Magicicada Chorus. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood X (2004) by Dan Mozgai:
Magicicada Brood Chart
The Brood Chart features the names of the broods (Roman numerals), their life cycle length when they will emerge next, which states they’ll emerge in, links to Maps, the species that will emerge, and other information. Click the maps for larger, detailed maps.
Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN
When will they emerge?
Generally speaking, these cicadas will begin to emerge when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. They typically emerge in May but have been known to emerge in late April or early June. It all depends on the weather.
What should you look for before they emerge?
Chimneys / Turrets
Look for cicada chimneys a.k.a. turrets. These are structures cicadas build out of the soil, positioned above the hole where they will emerge.
Holes
Look for holes in the diameter of an adult’s finger near the root system of a tree. These are sure signs that cicadas will emerge in the area.
Cicadas Under Stones & Slates
You might discover some cicada nymphs while turning over stones or when performing landscaping chores.
This is a recently emerged nymph crawling up a tree. Note that its eyes are red.
Once cicadas nymphs have emerged from the ground, they will try to find a tree (or similar vertical surface), and then begin the process of shedding their old nymph skins (ecdysis), expanding their wings, and changing to their adult coloring. Watch this amazing transformation.
How to tell the difference between the seven Magicicada species:
Left to right: Magicicada cassini, Magicicada septendecula, Magicicada septendecim:
The first way is based on the Brood. Take a look at the Brood chart above, and see which species appear with the Brood.
There are 3 basic types of Magicicada: “‘Decims”, “‘Cassini” and “‘Deculas”.
Magicicada neotredecim Marshall and Cooley 2000. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXIII.
Magicicada tredecim (Walsh and Riley, 1868). 13-year life cycle. Brood: XIX, XXII, XXIII.
Their songs are very similar, however, when M. neotredecim & M. tredecim emerge in the same location, M. neotredecim’s song takes a higher pitch. Sounds like “Pharaoh, Pharaoh!”.
Visual Appearance:
Male on left; Female on right.
M. neotredecim & M. septendecim have broad orange stripes with more orange than black on their abdomens.
M. tredecim, by comparison, have almost entirely orange abdomens.
M. septendecim cicadas also have an area of orange coloring between the eye and the wing (pronotal extension).
“Cassini” aka Dwarf Cicadas
There are two species in this category:
Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1851). 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-V, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
Magicicada tredecassini Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXII.
Their songs are essentially identical:
M. cassini Call and Court:
Note how it makes a quick burst of sound, followed by some rapid clicks.
Visual Appearance:
Female on left; Male on right.
M. tredecassin & M. cassini cicadas have black abdomens with virtually no orange at all. Orange stripes are possible in the mid-west (important to note for Brood IV).
“Decula”
There are two species in this category:
Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-VI, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
Magicicada tredecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXIII.
Their songs are essentially identical:
M. tredecula Call:
Note the “tick, tick, tick” rhythm of the call.
Visual Appearance:
Female on left; Male on right.
M. septendecula & M. tredecula have stripes that feature more black than orange. Otherwise, they’re very similar to M. cassini.
How to figure out if they’re coming to your town?
Verify that they’re coming to your state. Check the Magicicada Brood Chart on this page.
Check Cicada Brood Maps linked from this page to see if they’re coming to your general area.
Check to see if they’re coming to your neighborhood. Good sources include:
Ask someone who lived there 17 (or 13) years before.
Old timers (hint: old timers usually call them locusts).
Check your local Library for old newspaper articles.
Check with a local college: contact the entomology, forestry, or agriculture-related departments.
Your local national, state, county, and town parks department (parks and rec). Some county parks departments plan events around cicada emergences.
When will they emerge?
They will emerge sometime in the Spring, for sure.
They typically emerge once the soil 8 inches (20 cm) below the surface gets to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celcius). At that temperature, they will start digging their tunnels to the surface. After a couple of days with above-ground temperatures near the 80’s F, and after a good rain, they will emerge. Read this paper for more info: Thermal Synchronization of Emergence in Periodical “17-year” Cicadas (Homoptera, Cicadidae, Magicicada) by James Edward Heath, American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 80, No. 2. (Oct. 1968), pp. 440-448.
Cicadas in sunny areas of your yard will emerge before cicadas in shady areas.
Cicadas in the southernmost states will emerge before cicadas in the northern states.
Question: Why do I have cicadas in my neighborhood, but your chart indicates that I shouldn’t?
Answer: Some possibilities: 1) they are stragglers, periodical cicadas that emerge too soon or late, 2) they are not periodical cicadas, but are a different North American species, 3) you live on a continent other than North America, in which case, try one of these pages, or 4) SURPRISE! The U.S. is a big place and some cicada populations have yet to be documented.
Question: Why don’t I have periodical cicadas in my area, but the information on your website indicates that I should?
Answer: Two possibilities: 1) they went extinct or otherwise died off in your area, or 2) they aren’t everywhere in a state – normally there are large gaps in their range.
Question: What are stragglers?
Answer:Stragglers can emerge 1 or 4 years early or 1 or 4 years late. Don’t be surprised if you see some periodical cicadas emerge earlier than planned this year. 17-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years early, and 13-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years late. Straggler probability chart.
Question: Why are there no Brood XI, XII, XV, XVI… ?
Answer: Perhaps you’ve noticed there are no Broods XI (11), XII (12), XV (15), XVI (16), XVII (17), XVIII (18), XX (20), XXI (21), XXIV (24), etc. Don’t worry about that. They never existed or are extinct (XI, XXI).
Example Emergence Timeline
This is an example of a typical cicada emergence. The exact dates will depend on the weather and density of the emergence in your location. Hot weather means an early start and quicker finish to the season — cool weather means a later start, and a protracted season.
Check the Cicada Central Magicicada Database to see the counties where cicadas have appeared in the past. For more information about this database and cicada research in general, visit the Simon Lab website.
Can you identify this cicada from Bucharest, Romania?
These photos were taken by Tudor Sava. I’ve cropped them so you can get a closer view.
Since the cicada is in the process of molting/has just molted, it doesn’t have its final adult colors yet. There’s a good chance some of the brown, green, and red/orange colors will be
Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI
When: June-September. Peaks in August.
Eyes: gray / beige
Collar: olive or rusty brown
Description: The largest North American cicada. Olive green to rusty brown with black, tan, and white coloring. Heavy white pruinose. M on mesonotum is typically partially occluded by pruinose. Sings at dusk.
Description: Primarily either orange/rust or pea green, brown, or black with heavy pruninosity which forms distinct markings on the dorsal side of the body. The dorsal side has two black stripes framed by three areas of pruinosity. Sounds like N. pronotalis.
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.
Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI, WY
When: July-September. Peaks in August.
Eyes: gray
Collar: green or brown
Description: Tan or pea green, brown, black, and sometimes white pruinose. Wing color matches the dominant color of the body. Typically lacks a black marking on its pronotum.
Locations: AR, CT, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MB, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NB, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, NS, OH, ON, PA, PE, QC, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
When: July-September. Peaks in August.
Eyes: varies
Collar: varies
Description: Typical black, brown, beige and green Tibicen camo patterns. The primary color varies from brown to green. The collar is often a mix of green & black. Sounds like an angle grinder tool and like N. auriferus & N. davisi.
Locations: AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, LA, MD, MA, MS, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
When: August-December. Peaks in September.
Eyes: varies
Collar: brown or green
Description: The davisi comes in a wide variety of colors: from rusty browns to greens. A crown-like pattern on the mesonotum. Sounds like an angle grinder tool, & sounds like N. auriferus & N. canicularis.
Description: If the cicada has a white X on its back, it is a latifasciatus. Repetitive, rhythmic, call like someone repeatedly running a scissor over a grinding wheel.
Locations: AL, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, IL, KY, MD, MA, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WV
When: July-September. Peaks in July.
Eyes: black
Collar: black
Description: The Dark Lyric Cicadas have the darkest coloration of all the Lyric cicadas. Their mesonotum is almost entirely dark brown/black. They have a “soda-pop pull-tab” or keyhole shape on their pronotum.
Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, ON, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI
When: June-August. Peaks in July.
Eyes: brown
Collar: black
Description: The Lyric cicada, like most small Neotibicen, has a green, black & brown camouflage look, but the key is Lyric cicadas typically have black collars. Its sound is like an angle grinder tool steadily grinding a slightly uneven surface.
Locations: AL, AR, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, WV, WI
When: June-October. Peaks in August.
Eyes: black
Collar: green
Description: The Scissor Grinder looks a lot like Linne’s Cicada but its wing doesn’t have the bend that Linne’s Cicada has. The Scissor Grinder also seems to have more of an orange coloration to the ‘arches’ on its mesonotum.
Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV, WI
When: June-September. Peaks in August.
Eyes: black or dark green
Collar: black
Description: Swamp Cicadas are are known for their rounded, humped back. Their coloration varies from mostly black & some green to black, brown, and green. Their collar is usually black but can include green.
Description: Like the Scissor Grinder, the Eastern Scissor Grinder seems to have more of an orange hue to the arches on its mesonotum, perhaps even more so than the Scissor Grinder.
