Here is an Redeye cicada (Psaltoda moerens) photo taken by David Emery. The Redeye is also know as the Cherryeye.
The Redeye cicada can be found in eastern NSW, Victoria and Tasmania, and are most abundant in late November and December. (Moulds, M.S.. Australian Cicadas Kennsignton: New South Wales Press, 1990, p.75)
3 replies on “Ozzie Cicadas: Redeye cicada”
Hi Tim,
Where are you living? There ARE some local massive emergences this season on the East Coast. I was in Katoomba yesterday and the cold rainy weather has seen out most of the Masked Devils, but there are plenty of larger species still out and now many smaller, more interesting species. Cicadas suck sap from the food plants (like aphids and other hemiptera) and the “spray” is water left over from their extraction of sugars from the sap to use for energy (to sing for the males!!). So when alarmed, but also when simply functioning normally, you will get “showered” or “excreted” upon, and this is the “rain” that drifts down on you when you stand under a loud group of cicadas in full voice in trees!! They will die out in around 3-4 weeks and then you have the silence of winter!
Have a great Christmas,David.
I don’t just have a few i have atleast 50 + per tree, they are in atleast 7 ot 8 gum trees. When will these bugger’s die ?
These ones are all in our trees we also have a few green & devil masked ones, but mainly these red eye ones, they spray some sort of liquid when they sense trouble and are alot harder to catch.