Lozang Y. posted this image of a Masked Devil aka Cyclochila australasiae on our Facebook page. The photo was taken in the Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.
These cicadas are currently out and singing in the New South Wales area.
The green form of this cicada is called a Green Grocer, the yellow form is called a Yellow Monday, and the Blue Form is called the Blue Moon. The Cyclochila australasiae might have more color variations than even the Gaeana festiva of Southeast Asia.
More info about Cyclochila australasiae from L.W. Popple’s website.
Lucy- Many reasons why some cicadas die emerging. The most common is that they dry out before getting their head and thorax clear out of the shell (exuviae) and then their legs that are soft dry out and remain fixed inside the shell and they are trapped, dry and die and become ant fodder. You see many this year because the number out is high, so the percentage stuck means more about (pure probability). They emerge, mate and die within about 3 weeks- faster for smaller species, although a few males may hang on longer!
Ray- You do find GGs (green form) at Blackheath, they are only a small % of the population at that altitude. Down in Glenbrook, they are 95% of the population.
Lindsay Popple would probably know about their lifespan.
Hi I am in the Blue Mountains west of sydney and the masked devils are out in abundance – but I have come across a lot that seem to have died as they came out of their shell – could this have occured because it was too hot as they hatched?
Also a lot of them are dying – I note that it says above they started hatching 18 Septmber so is this their normal life span? (it is 12 oct today)
thanks
lucy
At Hazelbrook, amongst hundreds of the black & gold cyclochilas usual in the mountains, I came across a pair of full green ones, bright, dark green, with no black markings either. They were preparing to mate. Anyone else seen green ones in the mountains?
Ray Wood, Katoomba
I’m guessing that by green ones you mean Green Grocers?
Theses “highlanders” are currently out in their thousands above 400m and ranging 150km south, west and north of Sydney. They began emerging on 18th September and are tailing off now. On the night of 9th October, emergence of the greengrocer forms commenced in and around Sydney at altitudes <200m. Roll on summer, but it will be hot!