Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
Locations where cicadas can be found, including countries and continents.
This week there were many news reports that a California Academy of Sciences led expedition (The 2011 Philippine Biodiversity Expedition) of the Philippines discovered a new species of cicada with a call that sounds like laughter. I’d like to see and hear it.
Here’s an article about the expedition, the Laughing Cicada and other new discoveries.
It’s too early to say, but The Cicadidae of Japan might end up being the cicada book of the year. The book was authored by Dr. M. Haysashi and Dr. Yasumasa Saisho (of the incredible Cicadidae of Japan website), and it includes photos and a CD of cicada song.
The book is currently available from Amazon.co.jp.
Information from Dr. Yasumasa Saisho:
Hello. I inform you that “The Cicadidae of Japan” by Dr. M.Hayashi and
myself is published. This book consists of taxonomic exposition, ecological
information, distribution, acoustic attribute of calling songs,
morphological features of Japanese cicadidae with many photos and CD
(including all songs of Japanese species, about 70min).———-
M. Hayashi and Y. Saisho (2011). The Cicadidae of Japan,
224 pp., Seibundo-shinkosha, Tokyo.
ISBN978-4-416-81114-6
4,600yen
A few more mystery cicadas from Jairo from the Cigarras do Brasil — Brazilian Cicadas website. These cicadas are from Brazil. This time with videos featuring their song.
Cicada A:
“Now i’m sending you a video of a strange cicada song, very highly pitched, and two blurry photos of it. Sorry i couldn’t take better pictures (they’re very small and hard to catch), but i hope it can help you.
As far as i could see, this cicada seems to belong to the genus Taphura. I saw some cicadas of this genus and it really loks like them (if only the pictures showed that…). They have a green head and mesonotum, but the abdomen has a different color, probably beige or brown. Their belly seem to be white, with beige legs. Their song starts with clicks from a male, then another male responds to it, and then all males in the place sing together a very fast buzz. Probably i recorded here their “alarm call”, to warn the others about the presence of a stranger, ’cause their song was very erratic.”
Images of this cicada (yeah, they’re not the best quality):
Cicada B:
“This one really gets me intrigued! Never saw the cicada (that’s why i don’t have pics), but i’ve heard it a lot! Very low sound, this song is a succession of short calls (ki-ki-ki-ki). Males singing together seem to be duelling. All i can say is it seems to be from genus Dorisiana, but without pictures i cannot prove this.
This one is really a challenge.”
Cicada C:
“I made this recording in October 5th 2010 (spring), and you can hear the second part of a cicada song (i couldn’t record the first part). The song starts with a slow sequence of short calls (ki-ki-ki), and then it accelerates and becomes a fast sequence of zizizi sounds. People will say that it sounds like Fidicina mannifera or F. torresi, but i know these two species enough to say that it wasn’t any of them, along with the fact that they don’t sing in trees as high as the one in the footage. Could it be Majeorona aper??? They appear in springtime, and i don’t know their song!”
Jairo from the very cool Cigarras do Brasil – Brazilian Cicadas website asked us to help identify five cicadas from Brazil.
Updated on 3/19 with new images.
If you can ID any of them, let us know in the Comments.
“002: Green cicada with size about 1,5cm, probably genus Carineta. No song recorded:”
“people said this is not Carineta (even if it seems to be it for me), so i’m sending a photo from another angle (same green cicada). Sure this is not a Fidicina. Photo taken in brazilian late summer (march 04, 2011).”
“SL370390: This one was found singing in the grass (its song sounds like a Tibicen auriferus). Its size is about 1,7cm (3/4 in). Color dark green with yellow spots (including the veins in the wings).:”
“SL370343: People said this is Proarna, but are they sure? This cicada didn’t finish the molting process. If it’s so, the grass cicada is Proarna too. October 04, 2010.”
“SL370337: This one has just left its exuvia, so it was not molted yet. But it sings like a Tibicen davisi, and its size is about 2cm. They usually sing high up in trees”
“SL370387: got terrible pictures of this tiny cicada, but i can say the “M” mark on the back of it is yellow, same as the wing veins. Its belly is white, except in the middle of the abdomen, which is light brown. Same as SL370390, sings on the grass. Check the date on the picture (mid spring).”
Image 5:
“020: Not sure, but could probably be the same as SL370337 (with the difference that this one is dead).”
“004: dorsal view – better angles for the dead cicada, so you can check the belly. If the two previous cicadas are Proarna, this one should be too, i’m sure they belong to the same genus.”
“005: better angles for the dead cicada, so you can check the belly. If the two previous cicadas are Proarna, this one should be too, i’m sure they belong to the same genus.”
“DSF0993: gray color with black spots, excellent camouflage, size about 1 inch (2,5cm), song starts with clicks and then sounds like a plane turbine (i’ll send you video later). It lasts about 20 seconds”
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:
Y is for Yellow Monday Cicada. The Yellow Monday cicada is the yellow form of the Cyclochila australasiae (the green form is the Green Grocer). Yellow Monday Cicadas lack a turquoise pigment that normally combines with the yellow pigment to form a green color. Visit the Scribbly Gum website for a photo and more information about Yellow Mondays.
A Yellow Monday photo by Tom Katzoulopolopoulous:
V is for Venustria superba, a species of cicada found in Queensland, Australia. The V. superba’s call sounds more like a frog than a cicada.
Read more about the Venustria superba in M.S. Mould’s fantastic book Australian Cicadas.
If you’re interested in the cicadas of Brazil, and why wouldn’t you be, check out the blog Cigarras do Brasil. Many cool images, including the teeny-tiny Carineta fasciculata.
The site is in Portuguese, but I used Google Translate to grab the description of the blog:
This blog is for those admirers of the insects most beloved (and loudest) of the world. If you’ve ever heard them sing (and liked), have seen their shells in trees, have tried to capture them as a child, this space is yours.
A Razor Grinder found by Vicki Nunn in Gladstone.
More photos of Razor Grinders.
I wish I had a sound file to post.
The Razor Grinder is found in eastern Queensland and NSW, and most common in December & January (Moulds, M.S.. Australian Cicadas Kennsignton: New South Wales Press, 1990, p. 68.)
Found on Flickr.
Red, orange, blue and green!
