April 2, 2020

Cicadettana calliope calliope (Walker, 1850) aka Southern Grass Cicada

Cicadettana calliope calliope (Walker, 1850) aka Southern Grass Cicada.

Pink Cicadettana calliope photo taken by Paul Krombholz.

Yellow Cicadettana calliope photo taken by Paul Krombholz.

â¢ All Cicadettana calliope calliope images and photos on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: C. calliope calliope

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: C. calliope calliope

Name, Location and Description

Cicada Name: Cicadettana calliope calliope (Walker, 1850)
Short Name: C. calliope calliope
Common Name: Southern Grass Cicada
When: May-August, peaking in July.
Where it is found: AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NE, NC, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA
Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
Description: Small. Comes in a variety of colors.
Eye Color: pink, beige
Pronotal Collar Color: rust, brown
Identification: Bug Guide
Identification: Bill Reynolds on iNaturalist
Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Song: Insect Singers

A description by Wm.T. Davis¹

The species has a wide distribution and shows considerable variation. The females are gen- erally a little larger than the males and with broader heads. There are both green and brown individuals.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Cicadettini
Subtribe: Cicadettina
Genus: Cicadetta
Species: Cicadetta calliope calliope (Walker, 1850)

List of sources

(1) Davis, W.T. 1918. MISSISSIPPI CICADAS, WITH A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES. Journal of The New York Entomological Society. 26: 141-155. Read it on archive.org.
Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
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.

Comments (4)

March 31, 2020

Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915) aka Plains Cicada

Filed under: Audio, Sounds, Songs | Megatibicen | Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) | U.S.A. | William T. Davis — Tags: M. dealbatus — Dan @ 7:04 pm

Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915) aka Plains Cicada.

Neotibicen dealbatus from Bill Reynolds collection
Megatibicen dealbatus from Bill Reynolds collection. All M. dealbatus images and information on this website.

Song

Source: ©Insect Singers

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Cicada Name: Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915)
Short Name: M. dealbatus
Common Name: Plains Cicada
Synonym/Former Name: Tibicen dealbatus, Cicada dealbata, Cicada marginata var. dealbata
When: July-September. Peaks in August.
Where it is found: CO, IA, KS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WY
Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
Description: Primarily either orange/rust or pea green, brown, black with heavy pruninosity which forms distinct markings on dorsal side of body. Dorsal side has two black stripes framed by three areas of pruinosity. Sounds like N. pronotalis.
Eye Color: beige
Pronotal Collar Color: light orange or olive
Identification: Bug Guide
Identification: iNaturalist
Type Specimen Details: The American Museum of Natural Species
Image: Insect Images
Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Song: Insect Singers

A description by Wm. T. Davis.

The description comes from Wm. T. Davis’ document A NEW VARIETY OF CICADA RESEMBLING C. DORSATA. from September, 2015, published in the Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Vol. 23: 161-164.

Markings resembling those of C. dorsata [now M. dorsatus], but marginata var. dealbata is more green in color and has less black about the central area of the pronotum. The mesonotum is marked as in dorsata but is more pruinose ; the turgum has a dorsal line of white spots as in dorsata, but the sides are broadly pruinose and the posterior margin of each segment is narrowly edged with greenish yellow. Beneath both insects may be of the same color, though dorsata is usually much darker. The opercula are about as broad as long and broadly rounded at the tips. The fore wings in dorsata are oval in shape with the inner side (radius) of the costal margin blackish ; the veins are heavy and thickened, and the W-mark is prominent, whereas in luarginata var. dealbata the fore wings are more acuminate in form, the costal margin is green, darkened beyond the middle of the wing and the W-mark is not conspicuous or is wanting. One of the greatest differences between the two insects is in the genitalia. The uncus in dorsata viewed at full face is narrow and the piece below into which it locks is broadly notched with the extremities rounded. In var. dealbata the uncus is more nearly triangular in shape and the lower piece is narrowly notched with the extremities much produced. The male type of var. dealbata is figured.

Length of body 35 mm. ; length of fore wing 46 mm. ; expanse of wings 105 mm.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915)

List of sources

Davis, W.T. A NEW VARIETY OF CICADA RESEMBLING C. DORSATA. 1915. The Journal of the New York Entomological Society. 23:161-164. Link to the paper.
Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

Comments (10)

Megatibicen cultriformis (Davis, 1915) aka Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada

Filed under: Audio, Sounds, Songs | Megatibicen | Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) | U.S.A. | William T. Davis — Tags: M. cultriformis — Dan @ 6:21 pm

Megatibicen cultriformis (Davis, 1915) aka the Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada.

Megatibicen cultriformis
Photo by Richard Newfrock.Other cultriformis info and images on this website.

Listen to its song:

Source: ©Insect Singers

Name, Location and Description

Cicada Name: Megatibicen cultriformis (Davis, 1915)
Short Name: M. cultriformis
Common Name: Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada
Synonyms/Former Names: Tibicen cultriformis, Cicada cultriformis
Where it is found: AZ, NM. Recently found in California
When: August-October
Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
Description: Orange/rust, black & pruinosity on head & body. Wings are green! Song sounds like rapid, raspy, clicks.
Eye Color: brown
Pronotal Collar Color: brown
Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Identification: Bug Guide
Identification: Bill Reynolds on iNaturalist
Identification: iNaturalist
Song: Insect Singers

Scientific classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genera: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen cultriformis (Davis, 1915)

William T Davis’s description from A New Cicada from Arizona:

Resembles Cicada marginata Say [now called Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri Metcalf, 1955] in size, color, and markings. Head black with an oblong greenish yellow spot each side between the eyes and a small spot of the same color on the front just above the transverse rugae. Pronotum greenish yellow with a large, conspicuous black spot occupying the fore part of its central area. The hind margin of the pronotum (collar) is entirely unicolorous as in marginata. The mesonotum is black, with a pruinose band each side at the base of the wings; the elevated x is greenish yellow, and there are two conspicuous, irregularly formed (pipe-shaped) greenish yellow spots occupying its central portion. The tergum is black, each side broadly margined with pruinose, and the segments have their posterior margins yellowish. There is also an indication of a dorsal line of pruinose spots on the tergum, which in the type have been nearly worn off. Beneath the head is blackish, the remainder of the insect being greenish yellow and more or less pruinose. The costal margin of the fore wing is entirely greenish yellow, darkened beyond the middle, and the w-mark is inconspicuous. Both fore and hind wings are greenish-yellow at base, with the veins darkened beyond the middle.

List of sources

Davis, W.T. A NEW CICADA FROM ARIZONA.1915. Journal of The New York Entomological Society. v23:239-241.
Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

Comments (3)

March 24, 2020

Neotibicen superbus, Megatibicen dorsatus, Megatibicen resh

Filed under: Bill Reynolds | Megatibicen | Neotibicen | Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) | U.S.A. — Tags: M. dorsatus, M. resh, N. superbus — Dan @ 9:16 pm

Left to Right: Neotibicen superbus, Megatibicen dorsatus, Megatibicen dorsatus, Megatibicen resh from the collection of Bill Reynolds.

N. superbus, N. dorsatus, N. resh from the collection of Bill Reynolds

Comments (1)

Megatibicen grossus formerly Megatibicen auletes photos

Filed under: Bill Reynolds | Megatibicen | Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) | U.S.A. — Tags: M. auletes, M. grossus — Dan @ 9:11 pm

Megatibicen auletes from Bill Reynolds’ collection. A lot of cicadas! People send Bill cicadas from all over the U.S., because he’s a renowned cicada expert, and his collection grows and grows. Lucky guy.

Neotibicen auletes from Bill Reynolds collection