Cicada Alphabet: S

S is for Swamp Cicada. Swamp Cicadas (Tibicen tibicen / Tibicen chloromera / Tibicen chloromerus) are typically black, green and white in color and lack the crisp, detailed markings of other Tibicens like T. pronotalis or T. doratus. Chloromerus means “green thigh” in Greek, which makes sense as they have green legs. [Note: these are my favorite cicadas as they prefer vegetation that is close to the ground, so they are easy to find and observe.]

Salvazana is a genius of cicada found in Asia. Here is a photo of a Salvazana imperialis, and a photo of a Salvazana mirabilis.

Allen Sanborn, a Barry University professor of Natural and Health Sciences, is an expert at identifying and classifying cicadas. Read an article about Dr. Allen Sanborn.

The Scissor Grinder cicada (Tibicen pruinosa), is known for its call, which sounds like a scissor grinding on a sharpening wheel, and for the abundance of pruinose on its body.

Seventeen-Year Cicada is another name for periodical cicadas that belong to the genus Magicicada and emerge in 17 year intervals. There are 3 species of 17-Year Cicada: M. septendecim, M. cassini, and M. septendecula.

Chris Simon is a cicada researcher and a professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of Connecticut. Chris Simon is principal investigator of The Simon Lab, which is home to many other well-known cicada researchers, like John Cooley, David Marshall, and Kathy Hill.

Spiracles are holes located along the side of cicadas through which they breathe.

Stragglers are periodical cicadas that emerge years earlier or later than expected.

The Superb cicada (Tibicen superbus) is a Tibicen cicada found in the United States. It is known for its bright green thorax, golden arches, and black mask.See photos of a Superb cicada.