Cicada ManiaHey,
If you’re interested in North American cicada species, and you’re looking for sound files of those cicada’s songs, check out Insect Singers, a new website from cicada researchers David Marshall and Kathy Hill. It has dozens of audio samples. Awesome!
Thanks for Suzanne M for the scan of the Archie McPhee catalog featuring the amazing cicada keychain.
I actually finally found one of these thanks to a family member.
D is for Dog-Day Cicada. The Tibicen canicularis, aka Dog-Day Cicada, is thought to be known as the Dog-Day Cicada because they are most active during the “dog days of summer”, which are the days when the star Sirius is visible in the Northern Hemishphere (July 3-August 11)1. Canicularis is derived from the Latin word canis, which means dog. Tibicen davisi is known as the Southern Dog-Day Cicada. Folks use the term “Dog-Day Cicada” for other species of Tibicen as well, but the T. canicularis the true Dog-Day Cicada.
Image of a N. canicularis (on the left) and N. davisi by Paul Krombholz:
Diceroprocta is a genus of cicadas that exist in North America.
Diemeniana euronotiana is a pretty black, orange and red cicada that exists in south-eastern coastal area of Australia2. See a photo of a Diemeniana euronotiana.
The Double Drummer aka Thopha saccata is an Australian cicada. It exists on the east coast of Australia and prefers eucalyptus trees2. The Double Drummer is a large cicada, as you can see from this photo.
Dundubia is a genus of cicada that exists in Asia. See a photo of a disected Dundbia on Cicada Mania.
We’ve discussed, in previous posts, issues with the naming of Tibicen cicadas; first there were gender agreement issues and then the naming of Tibicen tibicen cicadas (which most people still refer to as Tibicen chloromera).
The gender issue deals with agreement of the Genus and species name. Tibicen superba, for instance, should be called Tibicen superbus since the “en” in Tibicen is male, and the ending of suberbus needs to match that with “us”.
Quoting from Bug Guide1:
“All the —a endings in the species of Tibicen need to be —us, e.g. bifida should be bifidus”, per Allen Sanborn (Barry University, Florida), pers. comm., 2008. (Note, many taxonomists working on larger groups, e.g. leps, have abandoned gender agreement, but apparently this isn’t the case with Cicadas. MQ)
The story for Tibicen chloromera is a bit different. First, chloromera needed to be changed to chloromerus because of the gender agreement issue. Then that had to be changed to Tibicen tibicen because historically this particular cicada was referred to as Tibicen tibicen before Tibicen chloromera. This could be changed, if someone found a precedent of the insect being called a Tibicen chloromera, but then still we’d have to call it a Tibicen chloromerus because of the gender agreement issue.
Quoting from Bug Guide again2:
The long-standing name for this common species, Tibicen chlormera, has apparently been changed to Tibicen tibicen based on priority. See Synonyms and references. –Cotinis 17 October 2008.
That being said, most folks on the web call the Tibicen tibicen “Tibicen chloromera” to this day. Whether this is an act of rebellion, force of habit, loyalty to other researchers who don’t agree with the name change, I’m not sure.
Taxonomic name changes discussed, lets move to common Tibicen names.
Our last post featured Elias Bonaros photo of a Tibicen auletes, which I labeled a Scissor-grinder, a common name for the insect — or so I thought. Elias was quick to point out that other resources call another cicada, the Tibicen pruinosus, a Scissor-grinder. Elias is no slouch when it comes to cicada information, and he has correctly corrected me in the past in mistakes I’ve made, but I needed to figure out where i got my possibly erroneous information from.
Bug Guide calles the T. auletes a Scissor-grinder3 as well as Northern Dusk-singing cicada, as does another IOWA State website4.
University of Florida scientists/researchers, on the other hand, call the Tibicen pruinosus5 a Scissor-grinder as does the Song of Insects6 website. The University of Florida document doesn’t provide a common name for T. auletes, but the Song of Insects site refers to them as Northern Dusk-singing Cicadas.
So… any tie breakers out there? It could be that in the South the T. pruinosus is the Scissor-grinder and in the Mid-west it’s the T. auletes.
Here’s my list of references:
New Tibicen auletes photos from Elias Bonaros.
The Tibicen auletes aka Northern Dusk-singing Cicada is the largest of the Tibicen cicadas in the U.S.A.
C is for Cicada Killer Wasp. The Cicada Killer Wasp (in North America, Sphecius speciosus) is a large wasp, which captures adult cicadas, paralyzes them, places them in a burrow, and then lays an egg on them. The cicada dies as it is consumed by the developing wasp larvae. If you want to learn more about these wasps, visit Prof. Chuck Holiday’s Cicada Killer Wasp Website.
As you might guess from Elias Bonaros’ photo, Cicada Killer Wasps are less aggressive towards humans than other wasps, however, we do not recommend approaching them, particularly, if you are a cicada.
More (lots more):
Cacama valvata is a species of cicada found in the South-Western United States.
Cacama valvata photo by Adam Fleishman.
The Canadian Cicada, aka Okanagana canadensis, is a species of cicada found in Canada.
The Carineta diardi is arguably the most beautiful cicada of all. C. diardi exist in Brazil. Their black, red, green bodies and yellow tinted wings are amazing to behold.
Photo by Pia Öberg.
A chimney (aka a turret) is a chimney-like structure that a cicada builds above the hole it will emerge from when it’s ready to become an adult. Cicada researchers look for chimneys to get an idea where cicadas will emerge.
Cicadetta calliope (formerly Melampsalta calliope) is a species of cicada found in the South-Eastern United States. It is rust-orange and black, and its eyes are a pretty rose color.
Photo by Paul Krombholz.
The clypeus is that bulbous structure on the cicada’s head that looks like it could be the cicada’s nose or the grill of a 1950’s automobile. The clypeus holds the muscles the cicada uses to pump plant fluids through its needle-like beak and to its digestive system. Clypeus means shield in Latin.
John Cooley is one of the premier cicada researchers working today. Visit John’s site Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org), which is dedicated to re-mapping the location of Magicicada broods.
The cruciform elevation is a cross-shaped structure on the dorsal posterior portion of a cicada’s thorax:
Cryptotympana is a genius of cicadas which exist in Asian countries like Thailand. 
Photo by Michel Chantraine.
B is for Brood. Here’s the basics:
Magicicada cicadas are American periodical cicadas that have 17 or 13 year life cycles. There are 12 groups of Magicicadas with 17 year life cycles, and 3 groups of Magicicadas with 13 year life cycles. Each of these groups emerge in a specific series of years, rarely overlapping (17 year groups co-emerge every 289 years). Each of these groups emerge in the same geographic area their parents emerged. These groups, each assigned a specific Roman numeral, are called broods.
Two examples:
Brood X (X is the Roman numeral for 10), emerges every 17 years, in DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, & WV. The last time Brood X emerged was in 2004, and it will emerge again in 2021.
Brood XIX (19) emerges every 13 years, in AL, AR, GA, IN, IL, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA. The last time Brood XIX emerged was 1998, and it will emerge next in 2011 (NEXT YEAR)!
When is the next Brood emerging in your area? Consult the Brood Chart.
I’ve only scraped the surface about the who, why, when, where and how of Broods. If you want to learn more I highly recommend Gene Kritsky’s book Periodical Cicadas: The Plague and the Puzzle. There are also online resources such as Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org), which has updated brood maps, and Cicada Central.
More cicada alphabet:
A is for antennae. Cicadae antennae are situated between their eyes and their clypeus. Insects use their antennae to smell and sense touch, temperature, and vibration.
More:
Abricta curvicosta: The Abricta curvicosta is an Australian cicada also known as the Floury Baker (because its abdomen appears to be floury). You can find this cicada in eastern Australia. Here’s a photo of an A. curvicosta:
Floury Baker by Michelle Thompson.
Visit Brisbane cicadas for more photos, information and audio.
Ambragaeana ambra: The Ambragaeana ambra is a cicada that can be found in Thailand. This cicada has remarkable brown, yellow, orange and black colored wings. Here’s a photo of an Ambragaeana ambra:
Ambragaeana ambra photo by Michel Chantraine.
Angamiana floridula: The Angamiana floridula is a cicada that can be found in Thailand. This cicada has orange, brown & cream colored wings. Here’s a photo of an Angamiana floridula.
Angamiana floridula photo by Michel Chantraine.
Arunta perulata: The Arunta perulata is an Australian cicada also know as the White Drummer. This cicada can be found in eastern Australia. They’re known for their pronounced sack-like tymbal covers (the white drums?). Here’s a photo of an Arunta perulata:
White Drummer cicada (Arunta perulata). Photo by David Emery.
Visit the CSIRO website for more information and an illustration.
Ayuthia spectabile: The Ayuthia spectabile is a cicada than can be found in Thailand. This cicada’s coloration features cream, light brown, black and mint green. Here’s a photo of an Ayuthia spectabile:
To learn more about Australian cicadas, try the book Australian Cicadas by M.S. Moulds, or online at Brisbane Cicadas.
This is the start of a new feature on Cicada Mania called the Cicada Alphabet.
Temperature is a factor influencing when cicadas will emerge from the earth and enter the adult phase of their lives. Cicadas like warm weather (as do most insects) and so once the soil & air reaches a temperature that pleases the cicadas, they will likely emerge. There are other factors of course, but hotter weather usually means cicadas will emerge sooner than later.
The spring and summer of 2010 have been HOTTER than usual in the mid-Atlantic area of the United States, and so species of cicadas are emerging earlier than expected. Since June first, I’ve witnessed, 32 days above 80F(27C), and 11 days above 90F(32C), in New Jersey, which is warmer than usual.
Annual cicada species like the Tibicen species and Neocicada hieroglyphica have been emerging sooner than expected. Cicadas.info has reports of Neocicada hieroglyphica, Tibicen lyricen and T. tibicen (T. chloromera) emerging sooner than expected. I’ve been hearing T. linnei in New Jersey since June.
Massachusetts Cicadas is reporting a slow start for Tibicen. Massachusetts is a New England state and is typically cooler than Mid-Atlantic states like New Jersey, but that might not be the only factor at work here. It will be interesting to see how this plays out.
What else…
The temperature will also affect when a cicada will sing: if it’s too cold cicadas won’t sing, and if it’s too hot the poor over-heated cicadas won’t sing. This is why you won’t hear some annual cicadas singing on a cool day, or when it’s near 100F(38C). This depends on the species too; some species like it HOT, and some like it cool.
I’ve also heard that temperature can affect the frequency of a cicada’s song, however, there is not a formula that allows to you determine the temperature based on the pauses in a cicada’s call like there is for crickets.