Megatibicen resh (Haldeman, 1852) aka Resh Cicada

Megatibicen resh (Haldeman, 1852) aka Resh Cicada.

See all Megatibicen resh images & information on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: M. resh

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Name, Location and Description

• Cicada Name: Megatibicen resh (Haldeman, 1852)
• Short Name: M. resh
• Common Name: Resh Cicada
• Synonym/Former Name: Tibicen resh
• When: May-October. Peaks in August.
• Where it is found: AR, KS, LA, MS, NE, OK, SC, TN, TX
• Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
• Description: Black, green and brown camo pattern. White pruinosis. Resh Hebrew character pattern on mesonotum.
• Eye Color: varies
• Pronotal Collar Color: olive
• Identification: Bug Guide
• Identification: iNaturalist
• Bill Reynolds: Bill Reynolds on iNaturalist
• Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
• Song: Insect Singers

Resh Cicadas are named for the markings on their back (pronotum) that resemble the Hebrew letter Resh.

Key to Species by Wm. T. Davis from MISSISSIPPI CICADAS, WITH A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES.¹

A. Large, heavy bodied species ; head broad, uncus simple, and first cross vein in the fore wings starting from radius 3 far back, or about one third distant from base of first marginal cell.

BB. Uncus broad at the base, triangular in shape and generally about as broad as long. Opercula broad and rounded at the extremities no definite black area on the central part of the abdomen beneath, usually unicolorus.

EE. Wings broad, hind margin of the pronotum or collar green or greenish and more than 2 mm. broad.

FF. Anal cells or membranes at base of fore and hind wings light orange, two prominent marks on the mesonotum resembling the Hebrew letter resh inverted.

Fore wings with the first and second cross veins clouded, and the dorsum of the abdomen brownish or brownish black resh (Haldeman).

Teneral (soft) recently molted M. resh

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen resh (Haldeman, 1852)

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, Vol. XXVI, Nos. 3-4. 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.