This excellent photo of a Neotibicen dorsatus (formerly T. dorsata) was taken in Oklahoma by Vic Fazio.
August 26, 2006
Variation in Neotibicen davisi
Paul Krombholz has discovered some interesting variations in the Tibicen davisi cicadas. I’m quoting Paul’s email in its entirety below.
Here is the composite photo showing variation in Tibicen davisi. The
additional one I wanted to add turned out not to be as dark as I thought,
but it has a different pattern. All these came from the trees in my
backyard in central Mississippi this season. Colors on the dorsal (top)
side vary from dark brown to green. Perhaps the most typical is the “olive”
one in the middle. On the ventral (bottom) side, the black abdominal stripe
varies from very wide to non-existent. Variation in the size of the black
abdominal stripe is not related to the color on the dorsal side, as I have
seen absolutely no abdominal stripe on both a greenish one and a very dark
brown one.Davis described a variety of T. davisi—T davisi var. hardeni—which has
little or no abdominal stripe. However, it also has darkening next to the
wing veins of the seven marginal cells as in T. superbus
(http://static.flickr.com/31/60751246_f60d00e2a9.jpg?v=0), While its upper
side is “less rusty” than the typical T. davisi, its underside is also
green. (Dr. Alan Sanborn, personal communication). Since my examples only
vary as to the “greenness” of the upper side and to the size of the
abdominal stripe, none of them fit completely the description of var.
hardeni. If anyone finds a T. davisi that meets the description of var.
hardeni, I think Dr. Sanborn would like to know about it.
Cacama valvata Cicada
View other parts of this set: part 2, part 3, and part 4.
Adam Fleishman has captured some amazing photos of Cacama valvata cicadas. They were taken in Tucson, AZ. Elevation 2,450 ft.
See more of Adam’s work at his photography web site: Cometmoth Sight and Sound.
Ovipositing female:
Female:
Female:
Molted cicada skin (exuvia):
August 22, 2006
Cicada Mania news and updates
A New York Times article, An Irresistible Summer Soundtrack: Rattle, Buzz, Hiss, from August 20th mentions this site. I’m excited — you might not be.
I have an inbox worth of updates for this site that are on the way, so if you submitted something and you haven’t seen it appear, I’ll get to it soon enough.
August 21, 2006
Auletes IS the biggest USA cicada!
Cicada researcher Kathy Hill took this unbelievable photo of 18 different USA Neotibicen & Megatibicen specimens, plus a Quesada gigas (upper right) for comparison.
Click/tap the image for a much larger version. Contact Insect Singers for more information about the image.
I just took a photo of all the “eastern USA” Tibicens except
latifasciata, which we haven’t got yet (I didn’t include the “little
western” Tibicens like T. texana that are more centrally located
either). But I did also add T. duryi from the west coast and Q.
gigas, just for comparison.I just wanted to prove that auletes IS the biggest USA cicada 🙂
Note that the these cicadas were reorganized into two new genera: Megatibicen (larger USA Tibicen) and Neotibicen (smaller USA Tibicen) since this original announcement in 2006.
August 18, 2006
August 16, 2006
A Neotibicen shedding its skin
Here’s a great photo of a Neotibicen shedding its skin from Chris Millette.
Thought you might like to share my photo of a dog day cicada that I
made in Hummelstown, Pennsylvania last week.
Cicada knocks man off bike
From an article on the CHINAdaily news site: Cicada knocks man off bike.
Wang was riding a bicycle when he spotted two boys catching cicadas. He rang his bell, warning the boys to stay away, which scared the boys as well as a cicada on the tree. The frightened cicada flew toward Wang at high speed and knocked him off his bicycle. Physical check-ups in a hospital indicated that Wang had bruises all over his body and had three broken ribs because of the fall
Thanks to Roy Troutman for passing along the article.
August 2, 2006
It’s an Apache, not a Magicicada… or mabe an semicinta
Update: Gerry from Massachusetts Cicadas site said that this is a Diceroprocta semicinta, not an apache.
Kathy Hill had this to say
It could be apache or it might be semicincta, depending on where he got it from. But from the pics/specimens we have I think it does look more like apache. We’ve never noticed one with red eyes either but then Dave and I have only collected apache and semicincta once in 2003, so we haven’t seen very many. I don’t know of any other Diceroproctas that it could be. Apache/semicincta are very common in parts of Arizona. I think they are parapatric.
Bill Sheridan has contributed this excellent photo of an Apache cicada, often confused with Magicicadas because of the red eyes and black body.
July 27, 2006
Giant Cicada returns to central Texas
The giant cicada, Quesada gigas, has returned to Texas after 50 years!
Here’s a link:
Giant Cicada / Chicharra Grande
Thanks to Roy Troutman and Mike Quinn.
Bonus:
