Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada

Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada aka Bush Cicada.

Neotibicen dorsatus from Bill Reynolds collection
Fully sclerotized M. dorsatus from Bill Reynolds’ collection.

M. dorsatus; teneral; copyright Greg Holmes
Teneral M. dorsatus by Greg Holmes.

See all Megatibicen dorsatus images & information on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call

Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: M. dorsatus

Video Playlist

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Name, Location and Description

Cicada Name: Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)
Short Name: M. dorsatus
Common Name: Bush Cicada or Grand Western or Giant Grassland Cicada
Synonym/Former Name: Tibicen dorsatus
When: July-September. Peaks in August.
Where it is found: AR, CO, ID, IL, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY
Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]
Description: Rust/orange, black & white pruinosity, which forms distinct markings, such as a line of white dots down the dorsal side of the abdomen. Sounds like N. tremulus. Has a call that sounds like a rapid series of clicks.
Eye Color: beige to brown
Pronotal Collar Color: light orange
Identification: Bug Guide
Identification: iNaturalist
Subject Matter Expert website: Annual Cicadas of Arkansas
Image: Insect Images
Taxonomic Information: Integrated Taxonomic Information System
Song: Song

Habitat notes from ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS by Wm T. Davis ¹

Dr. Raymond H. Beamer, in an account of his collecting trip in Kansas in 1916, writes that dorsata was the most widely spread and abundant species taken. It was commonly found on low shrubs or weeds and grass, often on barren hill tops.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)

List of sources

Davis, W.T. 1921. ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. XXIX, No. I.
Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
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.