Cicada Mania

Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.

April 3, 2020

Diceroprocta apache (Davis, 1921) aka Citrus Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Diceroprocta | United States | William T. Davis — Tags: — Dan @ 6:59 pm

Diceroprocta apache (Davis, 1921) aka Citrus Cicada:

Adam Fleishman's Diceroprocta apache
Photo by Adam Fleishman.

See all Diceroprocta apache photos and information on cicadamania.com.

Song


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: D. apache

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube:

Name, Location and Description

Descriptions from Wm. T. Davis from RECORDS OF CICADAS FROM NORTH AMERICA WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES1

Note: at the time Davis assigned Diceroprocta apache to the Tibicen Latreille, 1825 genus. It’s since been moved to Diceroprocta Stål, 1870.

Resembles Tibicen cinctifcra (Uhler), but has sharper pointed opercula, the outer sides of which are not parallel, but converge; is without the central pruinose spot at the base of the tergum, and instead of having the dorsal part of segment eight all pruinose, the whitened area is reduced to two spots with a black space between. In the allotype the plates that correspond to the opercula of the male, are sharper pointed than in cinctifcra, the double notch in the last ventral segment is usually deeper, the terminal spine is more robust, that is, has a broader base, and the abdomen is less tapering at the extremity. In the three types of Uhler’s cinctifcra in the United States National Museum, the costal margin of the fore wing is bright orange to the end of the radial cell, also the hind margin of the pronotum or collar, whereas in apache the color is light yellow or straw-color. The membranes at the base of both pairs of wings are orange or at least usually much darker than in apache, where they are white or light gray. Some of these differences in strudture and color are more clearly brought out in the illustrations.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta apache (Davis, 1921)

List of sources

  1. Davis, W.T. 1921. RECORDS OF CICADAS FROM NORTH AMERICA WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF NEW SPECIES. Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Vol XXIX, No. I. Read it on archive.org.
  2. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  3. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  4. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  5. 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.

March 31, 2020

Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915) aka Plains Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Megatibicen | United States | William T. Davis — Tags: — 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

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

  1. 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.
  2. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  3. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  4. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  5. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

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

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Megatibicen | United States | William T. Davis — Tags: — 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

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

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

January 22, 2019

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863, is a cicada found in India and China.

Platypleura coelebs was formerly known as Poecilopsaltria coelebs.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Platypleurini
Genus: Platypleura
Species: Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Platypleura coelebs Stål, 1863

Species specimen description from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W.L. Distant:

Head ochraceous; front, excluding a central spot, margins of vertex between front and eyes, and a transverse fascia between the eyes black; pronotum pale castaneous, the posterior and lateral margins ochraceous; mesonotum castaneous, with four large obconical black spots on anterior margin, the central two smallest, a central discal elongate black spot and a small black spot in front of each anterior angle of the basal cruciform elevation; abdomen black, the tympanal coverings, and the posterior segmental margins ochraceous. Head beneath, sternum, legs, rostrum and opercula ochraceous; a transverse fascia between the eyes — enclosing a pale spot on face — inner margins of eyes, posterior margin of face and apex of rostrum black: abdomen beneath castaneous, with the posterior segmental margins and the apes ochraceous.

Tegmina with about the basal half creamy opaque shaded with pale fuscous, and more or less outwardly defined by an indistinct curved pale fuscous fascia, remaining area hyaline, costal membrane and venation dark ochraceous, the transverse veins at the bases of the second, third, fourth, fifth and seventh apical areas slightly infuscated; wings stramineous for about two-thirds their area from base, this coloration outwardly margined with fuscous, remaining area pale hyaline, the venation dark ochraceous.

The rostrum extends a little beyond the inner angles of the opercula, which are somewhat well separated.

Long. excl. tegm. 22 to 23 millim. Exp. tegm. 64 to 68 millim. Exp. pronot. angl. 11 millim.

References:

  1. The illustration, description and location information comes from A Monograph of Oriental Cicadas by W. L. Distant. 1889-1892. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

December 15, 2018

Diceroprocta alacris & Diceroprocta apache

Diceroprocta alacris & Diceroprocta apache are two cicadas, both found in Mexico. I’m covering them both in the same post because they were both formerly refrered to as Cicada transversa.

Diceroprocta apache

D. apache was formerly known as Cicada transversa.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta apache (Davis, 1921)

D. apache, aka Citrus Cicada, is also found in the southern United States. Visit this page to listen to its song.

D. apache have triangle-shaped opercula.

Cicada transversa illustration from Insecta. Rhychota. – note the shape of the triangular shape of the opercula:

A photo of D. apache from my collection. Same/similar cicada? Maybe, maybe not. Note the opercula:

Diceroprocta alacris

There are two subspecies: D. alacris alacris (Stål, 1864) and D. alacris campechensis Davis, 1938.

Diceroprocta alacris was formerly known as Cicada alacris as well as Cicada transversa.

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta alacris
Subspecies: D. alacris alacris (Stål, 1864)
Subspecies: D. alacris campechensis Davis, 1938

Two varieties of Cicada alacris – note the rounded shape of the operculum:

References:

  1. The illustration comes from Biologia Centrali-Americana. Insecta. Rhynchota. Hemiptera-Homoptera. Vol. 1. By W. L. Distant F.E.S. and The Rev. Canon W. W. Fowler, F.L.S. (1881-1905). Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

October 28, 2018

Diceroprocta cinctifera

Diceroprocta cinctifera is found in North America, specifically the south-western United States and Mexico. There are three subspecies. It was formerly known as Cicada cinctifera. Yes, its name has changed

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
SubTribe: Cryptotympanina
Genera: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta cinctifera
Subspecies: Diceroprocta cinctifera cinctifera (Uhler, 1892)
Subspecies: Diceroprocta cinctifera limpia Davis, 1932
Subspecies: Diceroprocta cinctifera viridicosta Davis, 1930

Diceroprocta cinctifera
The image says Cicada cinctifera, but the name of this cicada is Diceroprocta cinctifera.

Song type: Call


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: D. cinctifera cinctifera

Name, Location and Description

References:

  1. 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.
  2. Current species name verified using Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).
  3. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  4. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  5. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  6. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

October 2, 2018

Pacarina puella Davis, 1923

Pacarina puella Davis, 1923 is a small cicada. About 2 centimeters, according to BugGuide.You can find this cicada in the several southern (United) States, Mexico, and Central America. It is commonly known as the Little Mesquite Cicada.

It’s also one of the cuter cicadas. See what I mean:
Pacarina puella photos by John Beard taken in Texas
Pacarina puella photos by John Beard taken in Texas

Photo credit: Pacarina by by John Beard in Atascosa County, TX

Listen to its song ((c) Insect Singers):

Scientific classification:
Family: Cicadidae
Sub Family: Cicadinae
Tribe: Fidicinini
Sub Tribe: Guyalnina
Genus: Pacarina
Species: Pacarina puella Davis, 1923

And its name has changed since 1914. It used to be known as Pacarina signifera (technically, its a synonym):

Pacarina puella Davis, 1923
The image says Pacarina signifera but the newest name of this cicada is Pacarina puella.

Pacarina genus description by W. L. Distant:

Characters. — Head (including eyes) broader than base of mesonotum ; eyes projecting beyond anterior angles of pronotum ; vertex at area of ocelli much longer than front ; pronotum with the posterior angles moderately lobately produced, its lateral margins oblique, slightly sinuate, its length shorter than that of mesonotum ; abdomen about as long as space between apex of head and base of cruciform elevation; tympanal coverings distinct but inwardly concavely narrowed and exposing the tympanal cavities; face convex, a little broader than the space between it and eyes; opercula about reaching base of abdomen, their lateral margins oblique, their posterior margins a little rounded; anterior femora armed with two strong spines beneath; rostrum about reaching the posterior coxae; tegmina and wings hyaline; apical areas eight.

References:

  1. The illustration comes from the journal Genera Insectorum, and a specific article from 1914 by W. L. Distant titled Homoptera. Fam. Cicadidae, Subfam, Gaeaninae. Read it on the Biodiversity Heritage Library website.
  2. Species name information/verification comes from Allen Sanborn’s Catalogue of the Cicadoidea (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha).

April 28, 2016

Cicadettana calliope floridensis (Davis, 1920)

Filed under: Cicadettana | William T. Davis — Tags: — Dan @ 8:49 pm

Cicadettana calliope floridensis (Davis, 1920)

April 24, 2016

Platypedia affinis Davis, 1939

Filed under: Platypedia | Platypediini | United States | William T. Davis — Tags: — Dan @ 8:21 pm

Platypedia affinis Davis, 1939.

Name, Location and Description

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Platypediini
Subtribe: ?
Genera: Platypedia
Species: Platypedia affinis Davis, 1939

List of sources

  1. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  2. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  3. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  4. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.
  5. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1

Notes:

  • Some descriptions are based on aged specimens which have lost some or a lot of their color.

Okanagana sugdeni Davis, 1938

Filed under: Okanagana | Tibicinini | United States | William T. Davis — Tags: — Dan @ 8:19 pm

Okanagana sugdeni Davis, 1938.

Name, Location and Description

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Tibicinini
Subtribe: Tibicinina
Genera: Okanagana
Species: Okanagana sugdeni Davis, 1938

List of sources

  1. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  2. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  3. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  4. 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.

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