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re: why they sing in summer

Date: Wednesday, Apr/27/2005

Message: > If so, does >it mean that they mate only in >Summer? So what do they do in >Winter? -- Som, Thailand Som, let's just say they spend a lot of time "getting in shape" for mating season. -- bissel spilkes, town, state

Largest Cicada?

Date: Tuesday, Apr/26/2005

Message: Wow! This message board has been dead for awhile! I would like to know what the largest type cicada in America is. Here in Virginia, We have several species, some of which I don't know the names of. First ones I hear each summer are the standard T. Pruinosa, always in old-tree neighborhoods. Next to be heard are my favorites, T Lyricen. Near the beginning of the season they are heard near dusk, but as the summer progresses, they're heard all day. They have the sweetest, mellowist song: It starts like any other tibicen song, a rising buzz, then suddenly it changes to a soft whirring, like a rotating electric motor. A single specimen's drums often go slightly 'out-of-sync', and you hear a harmonic beating in the whirring sound. Next to appear is the 'morning cicada', T. Chloromera <-spelled wrong! These are strange looking: VERY flat, wide heads, the most 'classic-looking' Tibicen type, powdered entiry bright white underneath, and with long, bend-down opercula. We also have the 'watch-winder', which looks outwardly like T pruinosa, but has uprasied ridges on the abdomen that meet and seal with the opercula, the chamber. Their song sounds like someone winding a clock. Later in the summer, appears (never very common) T Auletes, which I thought was the biggest. Their song has a hollow, sound, like a chorus of frogs, a long steady whistling drone, with a regular beating 'tocking' sound. These appear around here in old-tree areas, and often sing well after the sun has gone down. Latest cicada in the season, is a very small one, definately a Tibicen, has a very shrill scream that lasts for only 5 or 6 seconds. I've seen these in the Blue Ridge Mountains, where they're more common, but they also appear here in the DC area. Other unknown one that I've caught, have a song like a cross between T. Pruinosa, and T. Lyricens, and these are a bit smaller, similar color like Pruinosa, but have a black stripe down the powdered white underside of the abdomen, and black opercula. What American Cicada is the largest though? Fred -- Fred Berry, Virginia

why they sing in summer

Date: Tuesday, Apr/19/2005

Message: Hi there. I'm fron Thailand and I wonder is it true that cicadas love to "sing" in Summer? If so, does it mean that they mate only in Summer? So what do they do in Winter? -- Som, Thailand

Web de entomologia

Date: Tuesday, Mar/15/2005

Message: web de entomologia ------entomology web in spanish http://jlmcsonora.tripod.com -- Juan, Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, México

More Japanese Cicadas!

Date: Wednesday, Feb/23/2005

Message: These are my favorites! I spent many years studying and collecting them. From tiny ones less than an inch long, to those that are among the largest (and loudest) in the world (listen to a Kuma Semi, their unearthly song travels for miles and stands right out from among the millions of other cicadas singing all around you. In full swing its call sounds like an ominous, inhuman voice, very clearly saying the word 'HISS' quickly, over and over again! To this day, no other cicada song impresses me as much! This type and its close and equally huge/loud relative the Yama Semi have tremendous drumheads and exotically shaped opercula. From above they look like giant versions of our dogday cicadas, with very wide heads, but their bodies are polished shiney black with powdered white line behind the drumheads, and covered with sparse golden hairs/dust that easily rubs off. In flight, they are very fast and agile, looking all the world like small birds! Love my semi!! -- Fred, Virginia

Howdy

Date: Wednesday, Feb/16/2005

Message: Howdy Dan and all the rest of the cicada watchers! 8>- x -- cicada x, In

Leonardo Milhomem - Brasilia, Brazil Cicada Photos

Date: Monday, Feb/14/2005

Message: Quesada Gigas can also be found in the United States. It sings at dusk and has a very interesting sound I would descibe as a tea kettle or a long high pitched whine. The location and time I have personally heard them is mid July at the San Antonio Texas KOA. -- Mike, Columbia CT

Found nymph in shallow soil

Date: Friday, Nov/26/2004

Message: Earlier this month (November), while digging for worms in the backyard, found a large nymph (almost certainly a Tibicen) in the soil. He was shallow, within five inches of the surface. -- Eric, Missouri

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