Cicada Mania

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

April 4, 2020

Megatibicen auletes (Germar, 1834) aka Northern Dusk Singing Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Megatibicen | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 7:53 am

Megatibicen auletes (Germar, 1834) aka Northern Dusk Singing Cicada.

FYI, the name of this cicada is changing to Megatibicen grossa (Fabricius, 1775). See: Sanborn, A.F. (2023) Resolving taxonomic issues of cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) including new combinations, new synonymies, and revised status, with updates on the diversity of the Brazilian cicada fauna and new records for four South American countries. Zootaxa, VOL. 5318 NO. 3: 20 JUL. 2023, 339-362. DOI: 10.11646/ZOOTAXA.5318.3.2

Dorsal view. Neotibicen auletes female Manchester NJ

See all Megatibicen auletes photos and information on cicadamania.com (there is a lot)!

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: M. auletes

Video

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Song and morphological descriptions by Wm. T. Davis from MISSISSIPPI CICADAS, WITH A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES1

Its song is monotonous in tone and not loud, considering the size
of the insect. It often commences to sing late in the afternoon and continues off and on until dark.

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.

F. Anal cells or membranes at base of fore and hind wings gray. Dorsal segments of the abdomen not margined with brown ; in fresh specimens the basal segments pruinose, also the terminal segments, leaving the four middle segments black. A large species expanding over 110 mm.

A comparison of teneral (soft) and sclerotized (hard) M. auletes

Teneral Auletes
Photo by Paul Krombholz.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen auletes (Germar, 1834)

List of sources

  1. Davis, W.T. 1919. 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 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.

Diceroprocta vitripennis (Say, 1830) aka Green Winged Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Diceroprocta | Thomas Say | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 7:26 am

Diceroprocta vitripennis (Say, 1830) aka Green Winged Cicada.

Diceroprocta vitripennis by Paul Krombholz
Photo by by Paul Krombholz.

See all Diceroprocta vitripennis images and information in cicadamania.com.

Song


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: D. vitripennis

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Locations from Wm. T. Davis’ MISSISSIPPI CICADAS, WITH A KEY TO THE SPECIES OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES1

Prof. R. W. Harned has contributed the following note : “In regard to the distribution of Tibicen vitripennis I am inclined to think that this insect will only be found on low ground or in swampy places. This insect seems to be fairly prevalent in what is known as the delta section of Mississippi or the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta. This is the alluvial western part of the state. This species is also fairly abun- dant in* similar soils in Arkansas and Louisiana. The first time that I ever noticed this species was late in June, 1912. I found them quite numerous in fields at Palmyra Island, south of Vicksburg. I was surprised to find them coming out of the ground several hundred yards away from any perennial plants. They were also emerging from soil that had been under water a few weeks before. The spe- cies is quite common in the cotton fields of the delta.”
The distribution seems to be confined to the central United States. Specimens have been examined from Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkan- sas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska and Indiana.

Key to Species:

AA. Small species; uncus wish-bone shaped, and first cross view in the fore wings starting from about the middle of the first marginal cell.

GG. First and second cross veins of fore wings not clouded, wings clear throughout and expanding about 70 mm.

Head proportionately smaller than in the last; front more pro- truding;- collar not so contrastingly colored and fore wings narrower vitripennis (Say).

A visual description from Wm. T Davis’ NOTES ON CICADAS FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL NEW SPECIES 2

What we have identified as this species is an insect with green in its coloring as mentioned by its describer; not entirely orange and black as in Cicada eugraphica from further west.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta vitripennis (Say, 1830)

List of sources

  1. Davis, W.T. 1919. 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 on archive.org
  2. David, W.T. 1916. NOTES ON CICADAS FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL
    NEW SPECIES. Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Vol. X?ilV, No. I. Read on archive.org
  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.

Notes:

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

Diceroprocta olympusa (Walker, 1850) aka Olympic Scrub Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Diceroprocta | Francis Walker | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 6:48 am

Diceroprocta olympusa (Walker, 1850) aka Olympic Scrub Cicada.

Diceroprocta olympusa photos by Joe Green from 2007.
Photo by Joe Green.

Diceroprocta olympusa photos by Joe Green from 2007.
Photo by Joe Green.

See all Diceroprocta olympusa photos & information on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: D. olympusa

Song type: Starting Call


Source: ©Joe Green | Species: D. olympusa

Song type: Chorus


Source: ©Joe Green | Species: D. olympusa

Song type: Distress


Source: ©Joe Green | Species: D. olympusa

Video

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Descriptions from Wm. T. Davis’s NOTES ON CICADAS FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL NEW SPECIES.1

Note: Diceroprocta olympusa (Walker, 1850) = Cicada sordidata Uhler, 1892 & Cicada milvus Walker, 1858, in case that isn’t clear. 🙂

Cicada sordidata Uhler, was described in the Transactions of the Maryland Academy of Sciences, 1892, p. 175, from two males from Southern Florida. We figure a male from Big Pine Key, Fla., Sept. 19, 1913, that has been compared with one marked ” S. Fla.” in Uhler’s collection in the United States Nat. Museum, and labeled in his handwriting” Cicada sordidata.” This was no doubt one of his types. His published description is very full and among other things he says that the first three apical areoles of the fore wings “including the veins and cross veins smoke-brown.” This is subject to some variation, though the first and second cross veins are always clouded in mature specimens. He says ” Opercula short, pale, but little more than one-third the length of the abdomen, narrowing toward the tip, and rounded there ; the tips widely separated by a wedge-shaped space ; the drums completely covered by an inflated segent, with a wide interval between, which is occupied at the outer end by a smooth hump. The raised smooth line thus begun is con- tinued back upon the succeeding tergal segments, and from each prominence a grooved line extends outwards to the border of the segments.”

Cicada olympusa Walker was described in 1850, but no locality was given. It has been credited to North America by Distant. The description would seem to cover Cicada sordidata which is of the same size and we have been unable to find any other species in collections that fits it so well. Walker says in part ” scutcheon of the fore-chest [prothorax] adorned with four black stripes; the middle pair long, widened on the fore border and on the hind border ; the outer pair short and slightly curved; furrows and sides blackish; hind scutcheon [hind margin or collar] green, widened, rounded and adorned with a large pitchy mark at the base of each fore-wing, nearly straight on each side : scutcheon of the middle chest [mesonotum] adorned with four obconical black stripes; inner pair short with tawny borders; outer pair much longer, excavated into eight separate parts ; a large black spot with a black dot on each side be- tween the inner pair and the cross-ridge . . . fore borders of the [abdominal] segments adorned with pitchy interrupted bands; overduct ferruginous : drums pale tawny, very small, far apart ; inner sides pitchy.”

If it is meant that the extremities of the opercula are far apart then the above description agrees with sordidata, in which, however, the upper and inner edges of the opercula touch or nearly so.

Cicada milvus was described by Walker in 1858 from a single female from the ” United States ” and has been placed by Distant as a synonym of Cicada olympusa. Walker describes milvus as reddish tawny and says in part : ” Prothorax with four black stripes, the inner pair approximate, connected by a short black band in front, the outer pair very near the borders; two black discal dots; hind border greenish. Mesothorax with four conical black stripes, the inner pair short, the outer pair much intersected. Abdomen with an interrupted black band on each segment. Wings vitreous; veins pale green, black towards the tips. Fore wings with the first and second transverse veins clouded with dark brown.” The wings are said to expand 27 lines, that is about 57 mm.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Diceroprocta
Species: Diceroprocta olympusa (Walker, 1850)

List of sources

  1. (1) Davis, W.T. 1916. NOTES ON CICADAS FROM THE UNITED STATES WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL
    NEW SPECIES. Journal of the New York Entomological Society. Vol. X?ilV, 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.

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 StÃ¥l, 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.

Cacama valvata (Uhler, 1888) aka Common Cactus Dodger

Filed under: Cacama | Cryptotympanini | Philip Reese Uhler | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 5:44 pm

Cacama valvata (Uhler, 1888) aka Common Cactus Dodger.

Cacama valvata male
Male. Photo credit: by Adam Fleishman.

Cacama valvata cicada photo by Adam Fleishman
Female. Photo credit: by Adam Fleishman.

â­¢ See all C. valvata images and info on cicadamania.com.

Song:


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: C. valvata

Name, Location and Description

Wm. T. Davis descriptions

A description of the Cacama cicadas from CICADAS OF THE GENUS CACAMA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL NEW SPECIES1:

In Cacama the tympanal coverings in the male entirely conceal the orifices, which is also the case in the genus Tibicen, but the head including the eyes is much narrower in Cacama, being little more than two thirds the width of the mesonotum. The abdomen is broad and much rounded behind ; in Tibicen it is more tapering. The apical areas of the fore wings in Cacama are eight in number, the two lowermost small and somewhat square in shape. In Tibicen the two lowest apical areas are not as nearly of the same size, the seventh being much smaller than the eighth.

Specifically about Cacama valvata:

Mr. Woodgate writes of the valvata he sent from Jemez Springs, N. M., that they were very shy and often found about the bush cactus. Some he took in the evening while they were at rest on the cactus. “They are the only insects except ants that can settle on the bush cactus without impaling themselves. The toughest beetles become impaled when they settle on this cactus and the ants proceed to eat them, but these Cicadas that have a very swift flight, can settle with impunity.” He says that “their song is not sustained for more than about two minutes in the brightest sunshine even.”

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Cacama
Species: Cacama valvata (Uhler, 1888)

List of sources

  1. (1) Davis, W.T. 1919. CICADAS OF THE GENUS CACAMA, WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF SEVERAL NEW SPECIES. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. XXVII, 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.

April 2, 2020

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

Filed under: Cicadettana | Cicadettini | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 8:14 pm

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

Cicadettana calliope photo taken by Paul Krombholz
Pink Cicadettana calliope photo taken by Paul Krombholz.

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

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. (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.
  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.

April 1, 2020

Cicada Songs, Audio, Sounds, NoIsE

Filed under: Sounds — Dan @ 6:37 pm

Cicada Sounds Banner

Select North American Annual Cicada Species

D. olympusa Chorus. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

D. viridifascia Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

M. resonans Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

N. hieroglyphica hieroglyphica Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

N. tibicen tibicen Call. Recorded in New Jersey by Dan Mozgai.

Cicada pages that feature cicada calls (50+):

Cicada Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Beameria venosa aka Aridland Cicada May Jun Jul Aug
Beameria wheeleri May Jun Jul
Cacama valvata aka Common Cactus Dodger May Jun
Cicadettana calliope calliope aka Southern Grass Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Cicadettana camerona May Jun
Cicadettana kansa May Jun
Cicadettana texana May Jun
Clidophleps vagans Jun
Cornuplura nigroalbata
Cornuplura rudis May Jun Jul
Diceroprocta apache aka Citrus Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Diceroprocta arizona
Diceroprocta aurantiaca Jun
Diceroprocta averyi
Diceroprocta azteca aka Scrub Cicada Jul Aug
Diceroprocta bequaerti
Diceroprocta biconica
Diceroprocta bicosta
Diceroprocta crucifera
Diceroprocta eugraphica Jun Jul
Diceroprocta knighti Jun Jul
Diceroprocta marevagans Jul Aug Sep
Diceroprocta olympusa aka Olympic Scrub Cicada Jun Jul
Diceroprocta ornea
Diceroprocta psophis
Diceroprocta ruatana
Diceroprocta semicincta Jun Jul
Diceroprocta swalei swalei Jun
Diceroprocta texana Jun Jul Aug
Diceroprocta vitripennis aka Green Winged Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa bifida May Jun Jul
Hadoa chiricahua May Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa duryi May Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa inaudita Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa longiopercula
Hadoa parallela Jul Aug Sep
Hadoa simplex May Jun
Hadoa texana Jun Jul Aug Sep
Hadoa townsendii May Jun
Magicicada cassinii aka Cassini 17-Year Cicada May Jun
Magicicada neotredecim May Jun
Magicicada septendecim aka Linnaeus’s 17-Year Cicada May Jun
Magicicada septendecula May Jun
Magicicada tredecassini May Jun
Magicicada tredecim May Jun
Magicicada tredecula May Jun
Megatibicen auletes aka Northern Dusk Singing Cicada Jul Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen cultriformis aka Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen dealbatus aka Plains Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen dorsatus aka Giant Grassland Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen figuratus aka Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen harenosus Aug Sep
Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri aka Walker’s Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen resh aka Resh Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen resonans aka Southern Resonant Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen tremulus aka Cole’s Bush Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neocicada chisos Apr May
Neocicada hieroglyphica aka Hieroglyphic Cicada May Jun Jul Aug
Neocicada hieroglyphica johannis May Jun Jul
Neoplatypedia constricta May Jun Jul
Neotibicen auriferus aka Plains Dog-day Cicada Aug Sep
Neotibicen canicularis aka Dog-day Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen davisi aka Davis’ Southeastern Dog-Day Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen latifasciatus aka Coastal Scissors Grinder Cicada Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen linnei aka Linne’s Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen lyricen engelhardti aka Dark Lyric Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen lyricen lyricen aka Lyric Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Neotibicen lyricen virescens aka Costal Lyric Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen pruinosus pruinosus aka Scissors Grinder Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen robinsonianus aka Robinson’s Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen similaris apalachicola Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen similaris similaris aka Similar Dog-Day Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen superbus aka Superb Dog-Day Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Neotibicen tibicen australis aka Southern Swamp Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen tibicen tibicen aka Morning Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen winnemanna aka Eastern Scissors Grinder Jun Jul Aug
Okanagana balli Jun Jul
Okanagana bella aka Mountain Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana canadensis aka Canadian Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana fumipennis May Jun Jul
Okanagana hesperia Jun Jul
Okanagana rimosa rimosa aka Say’s Cicada May Jun Jul
Okanagana synodica synodica aka Walking Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana utahensis May Jun Jul
Okanagana vanduzeei Jun Jul
Okanagana viridis aka Cotton Green Cicada Jun Jul
Pacarina puella aka Little Mesquite Cicada May Jun Jul
Platypedia putnami putnami May Jun Jul
Platypedia similis Apr May

Periodical cicada song samples:

M. cassini Call. Recorded in USA by Joe Green.

M. septendecim Call. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood II (2013) by Dan Mozgai.

M. septendecula Call. Recorded in USA by Joe Green.

M. tredecassini Call. Recorded in Illinois, Brood XXIII (2015) by Dan Mozgai.

M. tredecula Call. Recorded in Ohio, Brood XXII (2013) by Roy Troutman.

Magicicada Chorus. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood X (2004) by Dan Mozgai.

Cicada Sound FAQs:

Websites that feature cicadas outside of North America:

Websites that feature North American Cicada Calls:

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.

March 29, 2020

Core Arboretum – Brood V Magicicada from Morgantown, WV (2016)

Filed under: Brood V | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations — Dan @ 11:02 am

This is a gallery of Magicicadas taken at West Virginia University’s Core Arboretum from the 2013 Brood V emergence.

Click/tap the images for larger versions.

More from Brood V:

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