Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1852) aka Cassin 17-Year Cicada

Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1852) aka Cassini 17-Year Cicada.

Update (4/10/2022) David C. Marshall published a paper arguing for the use of the name Magicicada cassini (one i): Marshall, David C. On the spelling of the name of Cassin’s 17-Year Cicada, Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1852) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae). 2022. Zootaxa 5125 (2): 241–245. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5125.2.8

All Magicicada cassinii images & info on cicadamania.com.

M. cassini Court II & III. Recorded in New York, Brood II (2013) by Dan Mozgai.

Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. cassini

Song type: Distress

Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. cassini

Song type: Chorus

Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. cassini

Song type: Call

Source: ©Joe Green | Species: M. cassini

Song type: Chorus

Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. cassini

Video

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Identification Tips

M. cassinii differs from other Magicicada in that its abdomen is typically all black, with no orange. Exceptions occur in the mid-west, the occasional mosaic pigment mutation. It also lacks the orange coloring between the eye and wing that M. septendecim has. Its chorus sounds like hissing static.

M. cassini Brood Chart

Magicicada cassinii has a 17-year lifecycle.

Brood	Years	States
I (1)	1961, 1978, 1995, 2012, 2029	TN, VA, WVA
II (2)	1962, 1979, 1996, 2013, 2030	CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA
III (3)	1963, 1980, 1997, 2014, 2031	IA, IL, MO
IV (4)	1964, 1981, 1998, 2015, 2032	IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX
V (5)	1965, 1982, 1999, 2016, 2033	LI NY, western MD, east OH, south-west PA, north-west VA, northern half of WV
VIII (8)	1968, 1985, 2002, 2019, 2026	OH, PA, WVA and OK
IX (9)	1952, 1969, 1986, 2003, 2020	NC, VA, WVA
X (10)	1953, 1970, 1987, 2004, 2021	DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WVA, Washington DC
XIII (13)	1956, 1973, 1990, 2007, 2024	IA, IL, IN, MI, WI
XIV (14)	1957, 1974, 1991, 2008, 2025	GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV

Name, Location and Description

• Cicada Name: Magicicada cassinii (Fisher, 1852)
• Short Name: M. cassinii
• Common Name: Dwarf Periodical Cicada, Cassini Periodical Cicada or 17-Year Cicada
• Synonym/Former Name: Magicicada cassini
• When: May-June. Peak in June. Every 17 years.
• Where it is found: GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
• Maps: Map
• Description: Black body with orange wings and legs.
• Eye Color: reddish orange
• Pronotal Collar Color: black
• Identification: Bug Guide
• Identification: iNaturalist
• Subject Matter Expert website: Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)
• Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
• Song: Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
SubFamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Lamotialnini
Sub-Tribe: Tryellina
Genus: Magicicada
Species: Magicicada cassinii (Fisher, 1852)

List of sources

• Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
• Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
• Locations: Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)
• Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.
• Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1

Notes:

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