Green Grocer Cicada
(12/11/2006) What's this bug
Dear Bug Man
My name is Nicholas and my sister's name is Emma. We were wondering what sort of bug this is? Regards,
Nicholas and Emma



Hi Nicholas and Emma,
We are nearly certain this is an Australian Green Grocer Cicada, Cyclochila virens.

Periodical Cicada
(11/17/2006) Good photos of 2 spiders and a 17 year cicada
Hi,
Thanks to your site I was able to identify the two spiders in the
attached photos. One is an orb web weaver and the other an orchard spider. I thought the pictures were good enough that you might be interested in having them. The orchard spider was outiside in the basement window well of my house and looked quite unlike the usual bugs here in suburban Essex county, NJ. The orb web weaver was taken in the Poconos in PA. I also attached a photo of a brood X 17 year cicada taken in Princeton, NJ. I have a short video of the 17 year cicadas that captures both the sound a large number of them make as well as the sound of the individual cicada that is the subject of the video. If you are interested let me know and I will send you a copy. Thanks,
Peter



Hi Peter,
At this point in time, we do not have the man hours to post all your great images, but we are thrilled to post the Periodical Cicada.

Green Grocer Cicada
(10/25/2006) What's That Bug?
Hi,
Just out of curiosity -- enclosed is a bug/fly/bee picture I took just a few minutes ago. Can you make out what it is? At first, I thought it was the Virescent Green Metallic Bee, but the green on this fella is not metallic - it's just bright green. And, it doesn't have big hairy legs. Also, it doesn't have the 3-part segmented body like a bee would have. It's about 1.5 inches long (from tip of the head to the tail) and maybe slightly less than half an inch wide (you can make a rough comparison with the blue standard-sized Kong doggie rubber bone). I tried Googling for more information about this insect — unfortunately, I can't find anything that's remotely close to this big fella. And instead, I found your website. :) Oh, just in case this might help, I'm from Melbourne, Australia. Thanks!
Cheers!
Lynn
Minutes later: Oops! I found out what this is already -- it's a cicada! Sorry to trouble you!



Hi Lynn,
We are very happy you figured out this beauty is a Cicada. The photo isn't detailed enough to be certain, but it might be a Green Grocer, Cyclochila virens.

Cicada
(09/14/2006) big cicada
Hello.
My name is Isaac. I have emailed you before. I think the last time I emailed you I sent you a picture of a stag beetle. Anyway here is a picture of a cicada I thought you might like to post on your site. It's a beautiful and very large cicada. I usually find plenty of annual cicadas all summer long but I rarely find these really big ones. Well I hope you like the picture. God bless!



Hi Isaac,
We believe your Cicada is in the genus Cacama, as evidenced by images on BugGuide. We wish you had provided us with a location. American Southwest??? Thanks for sending it to us.

Hey. I'm really sorry I forgot to give you my location. I live in Northern Alabama.

Update: (10/29/2006)
Cicada Identification
Hi There,
I thought I'd ID two of the cicadas you have posted on your web site. You tentitively ID the below as Cacama genus but these are not found in Alabama. They are a more western species grey in color and Cacama are small with small heads. This one is actually Tibicen auletes. The dead giveaway is its rather large size and heavy pruinosity with brown pronotal collar. I also help to identify a lot of the Cicadas on Bugguide. Well, hope that helps.
Gerry Bunker
Massachusetts Cicadas

Dogday Harvestfly
(09/12/2006) Trying to identify this bug
Hello Bugman,
I was babysitting my niece and nephew and found this bug on their swing set. I'd never seen anything like it and have been trying to identify it with no success. Hopefully you will recognize it right away and put me out of my misery!! Our mystery bug was between 2.5 to 3 inches long and had a hard body with a cone like shape at its tail. I don't know if it matters, but we live in Oakville, Ontario Canada. Thanks for any help you can give us,
Lisa



Hi Lisa,
Annual Cicadas are sometimes called Dogday Harvestflies. Though you have never seen one, we are sure you must have heard them buzzing loundly in the trees in the heat of the dog days of summer.

Update: (10/29/2006)
Cicada Identification
Hi There,
I thought I'd ID two of the cicadas you have posted on your web site. The cicada found here in the below image is Tibicen canicularis. T. canicularis is a more northern species and their range extends well into Canada. I also help to identify a lot of the Cicadas on Bugguide. Well, hope that helps.
Gerry Bunker
Massachusetts Cicadas

Mating Annual Cicadas
(08/27/2006) Thought you might like this
Ater takig this photo i started snooping the web. Found your site and it was very usefull Feel free to post the pic as well as credit for the pic. I think i was very lucky getting this
Joe Tasse



Hi Joe,
We are thrilled to post the image you provided of mating Cicadas. In the past 24 hours, we have gotten numerous submissions of mating activity.

Silhouetted Cicada
(07/27/2006) HUGE winged bug
Dear bugman,
After hearing a kind of a thud, I looked out and saw this bug had landed on my window screen. After the creepyness wore off, I was intrigued. I was able to take some pictures before my cat took notice and scared it away. It's a bit dark, but would you be able to help me ID this bug. I could only see it from underneath, so I can't say much about what it looks like. It was kind of dirty olive coloured, about 3cm long without wings, 4cm with wings. I've never seen a big winged bug like that! It looked like a giant fly. Thanks! I'm attaching a couple of pics. cheers!



The silhouette is definitely that of a Cicada.

Six Spotted Tiger Beetle and Dog Day Harvestfly
(07/23/2006) Green beetle and cicada
Hello! I have two pictures for you, the first is a beetle I was hoping you could help me identify. I have seen this gorgeous metallic green beetle many times, but this time, I thought to grab a Ziploc to stick him in so he would be more cooperative while I tried to take his picture (he's very fast for a beetle). Also, I thought I'd send you this cicada who I found singing his heart out on my deck the other day. He politely quieted down to pose for the picture. Do you know what those little red dots between his eyes are for? Thank you!
Gretchen Bertram, Iowa



Hi Gretchen,
What wonderful photos. The green beetle is a Tiger Beetle. It might take some time to identify an exact species. The Cicada is one of the Annual Cicadas known as Dog Day Harvestflies. The red dots are simple eyes known as ocelli. Many insects have ocelli as well as compound eyes.

Update (08/22/2006)
Hello Lisa Anne and Daniel,
I recently came across your website and I was pleased to see such a vibrant (and well-done) site. I'm an entomologist and evolutionary biologist (specializing on the systematics, taxonomy and evolution of tiger beetles and their close relatives) and I have to say that I'm impressed with your accuracy rate! It's much, much better than other comparable sites I've come across over the years. The two of you must really love insects.
This is a specimen of Cicindela sexguttata. Although the name implies that they have six-spots, they regularly do not in a significant part of their range (especially in the midwest). They can have as many as 12 spots or often none at all. Nice find! Hope that helps. I thought there would probably be a lot of sexguttata photos, and it looks like there were. The name confuses so many people, especially in the midwest where they are usually immaculate (I've got some really weird variants as well, since I'm completing a revision of the entire clade that that species falls within). I'll bookmark your site and check it out when I'm having trouble sleeping again!
Daniel P. Duran
Dept. of Biological Sciences
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN

Cicada Nymph
(07/19/2006) What planet is this bug from?
Found on ground in Missouri.
Thanks
Dave



Hi Dave,
Cicada nymphs live underground feeding off sap in roots. As they mature, they climb to the surface and molt into winged adults that produce buzzing sounds in trees. They are more often seen than heard. The red eyes have us wondering if this is a Periodical Cicada that could take 13 or 17 years to mature, making it the oldest living insect. No brood is due this year according to this site, so it might be an off-season individual. Perhaps Eric Eaton can assist. Here is what Eric Eaton added: "I think the cicada is probably of the 13-year variety (the nymph I mean), though both 13- and 17-year varieties may occur there. There are several online sites for periodical cicadas (Magiciada), some of which include maps of all the different broods, and I'd suggest consulting one of those."

Another Periodical Cicada emerging either early or late
(07/18/2006) cicada emerging
Location: Wompatuck State Park, Hingham, MA. 6/30/06 My 3 year old spied this critter in its hole made on the rocky trail. At the time I had no idea of what it was so extracting it from its burrow was out of the question. I've since learned that it is a cicada emerging from the ground. Thought a photo or 2 might be worthy of your cicada page.
Jeanine, Gabe 5, Jake 3



Hi Jeanine, Gabe and Jake,
This is the second report we have received (OK, yours was the first but we answered them out of order) of Periodical Cicadas emerging. The odd thing for us is that 2006 is not a year for a scheduled Brood or either the 13 or 17 year Cicada. Dare we blame global warming?

At the rate we're going, cicadas & cockroaches may be the only ones around! A local cicada hunter ( I don't think he's a professional, just an enthusiast) will be searching the area we located the bug in with hopes of finding others this weekend. I now look forward to retracing our steps this time of year over the next 2 years to see how many we find. Your website is phenominal by the way. Thank you. You are definitely my # 1 stop for my many future IDs.
Jeanine

Clarification From Eric Eaton: "Sometimes, there are a few stragglers among the periodical cicadas that emerge a year later than the rest. Sometimes they emerge a year or so early, too. There should not be very many that are doing that, and this is pretty late in ANY year for them to be emerging. You should consult Dr. Gene Kritsky at the College of Mt. St. Joseph in Cincinnati. He is an authority on the emergence patterns of periodical cicadas. You can tell him I sent you:-) Eric"

Spotted Cicada from Costa Rica
(07/13/2006) what's that bug?
Dear Bugman,
I live in Costa Rica near Lake Arenal. We have a common cicada there that makes a noise like a high pitched jet engine scream. It is so incredibly loud, if you have it in your house you have to find it or you will not sleep. I have the photo attached to this e-mail. Do you know the common and scientific name? I have web site that is a guide to the area that I live in. It has several photo galleries. One of them is a bug gallery and I am trying to find the name of the bugs in the gallery.
http://www.sabalito.com/Photos/Bugs_Gallery.htm
If you like bugs you would like this place. They are everywhere. Thank you very much,
Augustinus Linssen



Hi Augustinus,
What a beautiful Cicada, sadly, we don't know what it is. Perhaps someone will write in with an identification.

Update (07/17/2006)
I looked in several books and catalogues here at the Field Museum and I believe I found your cicada with 98% certainty. The illustration was in black and white but the wing pattern body shape, and size were definite matches. Later in the week I can go through the collections --time permitting-- and perhaps find a collected specimen. Common name: spotted cicada Taxon: Zamamara smaragdina
David Mendez
Field Museum
Chicago, IL

Golden Silk Spider eats Hieroglyphic Cicada
(07/12/2006) Pedator/Prey photos
Thought you might enjoy some pictures taken in southeastern Georgia of some golden silk spiders and their prey. I am particularly interested in the cicada, any ideas what species that is? (Skidaway Island, GA)
Thanks alot,
Anthony



Hi Anthony,
The Cicada is a Hieroglyphic Cicada, Neocicada hieroglyphica. Thanks for the great photo.

Cicada: Tibicen dorsata
(07/10/2006) What's this bug?
Hi, new homeowner here who is marvelling at the variety of bugs I'm finding around my new house in Dallas, TX. Can you help me identify this bug.
Thanks,
Scott



Hi Scott,
We found a match for your Cicada on Bugguide. It is Tibicen dorsata and it is a new species for our site.

Cicada
(06/24/2006) weird bug
So, I open up the door to my dad's SUV, looking for one of his Mott the Hoople cassettes, but as I step out of the truck, I feel this distinctive smack on my back (rhymes!). I look down and I see a big, black fly-beetle-wasp thing, buzzing around on its back. I didn't think much of it. But about a month later (today) I see the same kind of bug, but this time it's a tad smaller, and d-e-a-d. I snap a couple of pictures, and impale a pin through it and stick it to my cork-board. My mom and I have been looking all over your site looking for this strange bug. Since we cannot find this bug in any sort of reference we have, I have decided to email you about this situation hoping that I can identify this bug. Characteristics (dead bug found):
* Black
* 1 inch long, 1/5 inch wide, and 1 and 1/5 long counting wings folded back
* Hard exoskeleton
* Seemingly large stinger (if that is a stinger)
* Ugly
Hopefully the picture attachments work.
Jacob



Hi Jacob,
This is some species of Cicada. They are the loudest insects, often heard buzzing it trees. Eric Eaton just provided this more thorough identification: "I am pretty sure the cicada specimen submitted by Jacob is a species of Okanagana. If so, he lives in a northern or western state, as that is the major distribution for that genus. Eric"

Cicada Nymph
(06/12/2006) Bug (obviously).
Hello, we moved up to Auburn, CA last year and you've been a big help in identifying a bunch of bugs we've never seen before (being city folk). What I keep seeing is carcases stuck to the house, and until today I never saw what came out of them. This morning I found this cool green bug crawling down the side of the house and thought I'd ask what it was. Don't know if you can see in the picture but it has pinchers on its front two legs. Thanks for all the help.
Jeff and Leah



Hi Jeff and Leah,
This is a Cicada Nymph. It lives underground where it feeds on the sap from tree and shrub roots. When it is ready to metamorphose into a winged adult, it climbs to the surface, splits its skin and emerges as a winged adult. You find the shed exoskeletons from the final molt. Sorry, we cannot give you a species name.

Mantis and Cicada
(04/13/2006) some photos for you
I happened across your web site today. I enjoyed all the pictures and letters. I though I'd send a few of my own bug pictures. The first few are obvious, they were found on the wall in front of my house. The second pair I happened to open the front door and posing prettily on my door was this Praying Mantis. They are very patient creatures I can say. I went in and out the door a few times and it never even budged. The last is one of my favorites. I was cutting the grass in the back yard and had to re-fuel the weed whacker. When I bent down to put gas in it I looked and this most wondrous site of a Cicada drying it's wings after leaving it"s larvae shell. Most wondrous indeed! Summer is coming, I will surely take some more and pass them along if you'd like.
Benz in Gilbertsville PA



Hi Benz,
Thanks for sending in your photos. We especially like the mantis photo with the view of the yard.

Cicada Nymph
(04/08/2006) Crab claws?
This appeared in my garden today, I was turning over and weeding my vegetable beds so I think that perhaps it is an over-wintering larvae of some sort, strangest thing I have ever seen (and that is something for my garden).... help, please?
Dawn



Hi Dawn,
We get many photos of adult Cicadas with wings, and many photos of the exoskeleton after the final molt when the nymphs dig their way to the surface, split their skins and fly away, but we rarely get photos of the underground dwelling Nymphs. Cicada Nymphs live underground feeding on the sap of roots, usually trees. Some stay underground as long as 17 years like the Periodical Cicada or 17 Year Locust. Thanks for sending in your wonderful image.

Newly Emerged Cicada
(01/22/2006)
Thought you might like this image. As you can see the vibrant color of the cicada's wings is due to it just hatching. I was just at the right place at the right time. I have more images if you are interested. Also in a much higher resolution. Keep me posted.
Wally



Hi Wally,
Your photo is quite beautiful, but since you didn't provide global coordiates and since the true adult coloration is not evident, it is impossible for us to correctly identify the species.

Update (02/06/2006)
cicada on WTB 9&22Jan
Hi WTB,
These are both Psaltoda claripennis (Australia) which are emerging around this time around Brisbane. They are around 4cm long (body) about the size of your Tibicen winnemanna.
cheers,
David.
usyd

Another Cicada from Australia
(01/09/2006) Bug found in my Kitchen
I am in Brisbane Australia and live in an apartment on the 7th floor. The balcony doors open partially onto the kitchen and I tend to leave them open all the time. I found this bug 2 days ago on the kitchen counter. His body is about 2 inches long and the distance between his eyes was wider than the rest of his body. He was thicker than my Boyfriends thumb, now I know that isn't the best measurement, but this was a big bug.



We have gotten several images of Australian Cicadas in recent months. We located a great site for Australian Cicadas called Scribbly Gum: Summer of the Singing Cicadas, but none of the pictured species seems to exactly match yours.

Update (02/06/2006)
cicada on WTB 9&22Jan
Hi WTB,
These are both Psaltoda claripennis (Australia) which are emerging around this time around Brisbane. They are around 4cm long (body) about the size of your Tibicen winnemanna.
cheers,
David.
usyd

Cicada from Australia: Double Drummer
(12/24/2005) Hello - afraid i'm back again
Hello Bugman
The last time I had an identification problem you were kind enough and able to help (A Bee Assassin Bug) - This time it's the largest Cicada I have ever seen! It's overall length is 90mm and body length is 50mm. I have chased all the cicada sites I can find and while I think it may be a "Black Prince" I have not been able to find a pix that identifies it. I don't like bothering you but if you can identify it off the top of your head I'd sure appreciate it - If not please don't go to any trouble, it's not life or death!. Hope you and yours have a great Christmas, we are enjoying a hot one at 36deg C.
Best regards
Keith Power
Toowoomba Qld
Australia



Merry Christmas to you as well Keith.
We were curious to give you some statistics of relative size of Cicadas worldwide as we have seen some enormous mounted specimens. Wikipedia provided the following information: "Adult cicadas, sometimes called imagines , are usually between 2 and 5  cm (1 to 2  inches ) long, although there are some tropical species that reach 15 cm (6 in), e.g. the Pomponia imperatoria from Malaysia." In that sense, your cicada is an average sized Cicada. We have located a Scribbly Gum site dedicated to Australian Cicadas and there are many interesting colorful common names. The site does picture the Black Prince, and it is not your cicada.

Update (02/06/2006):
Cicada from Toowoomba
Dear Sir,
Some of your Aussie cicadas may be identified from the book "Australian Cicadas" by MS Moulds (NSW Uni Press, 1990) and available on www.abebooks listings. The largest Australian species is Thopha saccata ("double drummer") which was the photo posted by Keith from Toowoomba on 24th Dec 2005. There are around 8 other cicada species from the Toowoomba area.
Regards,
David.

Dogday Harvestflies Mating
(12/04/2005) Cicada love
Hi there, I stumbled across your site using StumbleUpon for Firefox, and was hooked.  I thought I might contribute something - I found these guys on the sidewalk last summer in Ottawa, Canada.  They appear to be enjoying themselves.  I assume they're cicadas, couldn't speculate on what kind.  Hope you enjoy them!
Marcus Watson



Hi Marcus,
jThanks for the wonderful contribution. These Annual Cicadas are sometimes called Dogday Harvestflies.

Green Grocer: Cicada from Australia
(11/22/2005) Bug, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Bugman,
I found this huge green bug in my back yard in Syndey, NSW, Australia .  It is about 8cm long and 2cm wide. I would like to know what it is? Thanks for your help.
Kind regards,
Bianca



Hi Bianca,
This is a Cicada, but we don't know Australian species. Males make loud harsh sounds that sound almost industrial. They create quite a ruckus from trees.

(11/28/2005) Cicada from Australia
Dear What's That Bug?:
Let me first say that I love your site.  I couldn't possibly say enough good things about it.  Keep up the great work.    I thought I may be able to provide you with an ID for the Cicada from Australia.  I wasn't sure whether you'd want to post the info or not, but figured you'd be interested nonetheless.  I believe the pictured cicada is Cyclochila australasiae (the Green Grocer).  I can't be 100% sure, as the little fella in the picture is on his back, and I am by no means an expert on Australian cicadas.  >From what I understand, it is a common Australian species and much louder than the ones we have in the US.   I hope the information can be useful to you.
Sincerely,
Chad Lensbower
Chambersburg, PA

Cicada Skin
(11/13/2005) Mysterious empty bug??
Hi!
I'm a frequent visitor to your site. I absolutely love it! soo cooool.
I was going through some camping pictures when I found this picture that I took last year. Me and my friends could not tell whether it was alive or not, and were kinda grossed out by it because it was quite large. I thought it was alive because it was still hanging on to the tree. And although the picture I'm attaching shows the bug horizontally, it was vertical. My friend tried testing if it was alive or not by poking it with a stick. what resulted was a "CRUNCH" and the bug seemed to ... collapse, as if hollow inside. We speculated that maybe it was a shedding of a bug that was left behind. but I have no idea whether bugs "shed" or not. Maybe the bug died, and all of its insides decomposed?? do you know what bug it is and why it was seemingly empty inside?
Brenda from Ontario.



Hi Brenda,
This is a Cicada Skin. When the immature Cicada, which lives underground, is ready to metamorphose into a winged adult, it digs to the surface, climbs up a tree or other vertical surface, and splits its skin, freeing the winged adult.

Wait 17 Years to see their Progeny: Periodical Cicadas Mating
(10/17/2005) Something else...
To add to your mating bugs photos. I took a trip down to the Dayton, Ohio area last summer during the emerging of Brood X Cicadas. They only come out every seventeen years, so I couldn't pass up the opportunity to witness it. It was truly an awesome experience.
Elizabeth A. Fisher



Hi Elizabeth,
We are truly honored to post your mating Brood X Cicadas. The one time I saw them was 34 years ago in Ohio and it was spectacular. Thank you again.

Cicada Metamorphosis
(08/28/2005) Extra Dogday Cicadas This Year?
Hello,
Just stumbled upon your site while trying to find out if this year there is an extra brood of dogday cicadas in the mid-Atlantic, specifically Maryland?  I don't remember in recent years hearing the dogdays so loud and being so numerous.  I was able to capture a few pics of one emerging this morning and are attached to this e-mail. These are nice and close.  AOL may ZIP them.  Let me know if you can't see them.  You may use them as you wish, just maybe drop me a line!  I have slightly larger versions as well. Look for my next e-mail with two absolutely FABULOUS shots, if I do say so myself, of the Brood X buggers from last year....
Alex



Hi Alex,
Thanks for the image. We are posting it as well as your Periodical Cicada image.

Periodical Cicada Metamorphosis
(08/28/2005) Brood X Photos
Well, better late than never.  Here are web resolution versions of the first Broox X cicada that I saw here in Rockville, Maryland on May 14, 2004.  These were taken with a Canon 10D digital SLR.  I think these could be published in a magazine, don't you? I have these two in 6.3 MP versions, or easily 8" x 10" in a magazine or twice that size on a digital printer.  Anyway, just wanted to share these and mention that I could crop them to show amazing detail of a mysterious moment in nature.  Take care.
Alex Campuzano



Hi Alex,
We love your images and like the two letters together. Your photos are of excellent quality. Good luck with publishing them.

Annual Cicada
(08/23/2005) 3 pictures for you
Hi:
Found your site while trying to identify a 2 1/2" long Cicada I photographed while trying out a new digital camera. I have heard them in the trees for years but never saw one up close before until this one landed for a few minutes in my driveway. It took off just after the picture was taken and they are really fast. I have attached a couple of other pictures I took, a Skipper Butterfly/Moth and, a Honey Bee and a Bumble Bee sharing the same flowers. You are welcome to use the pictures if you like. Your site is Great! I have spent many hours enjoying it. Keep up the good work.
Charles Sheffield
Grand Rapids, MI



Hi Charles
We have been getting lots of blurry photos of Cicadas, or Dog Day Harvest Flies lately, with accompanying queries. Your very clear photo is a welcome addition to our homepage right now.

Cicada Cyclist
(08/09/2005) What's this bug?
I found this bug on my bicycle in Queens, NY.
Thank you.
Linda



Hi Linda,
Did this happen over night or have you been neglecting your bike riding? We can only guess your bike was parked near a tree to have a Cicada dig its way out of the dirt, climb your bicycle and split its skin to fly away as a winged adult that is buzzing loudly in the trees.

Cicada Metamorphosis
(08/05/2005) EXTROVERT
I had sent you this photo on 8-2-2005 and am sending it again now (8-5-2005). Is it not good enough to put on your site? Please reply to Michael Blevins
(08/02/2005) I took this picture early morning  June 6,2005 at my home in Sotsylvania county Virginia. The subject was on the front tire of my 1969 Volkswagen "Bug." How strange is that ? I suppose this little guy or girl was drying it's wings after emerging from it's shell. I call this photo "Extrovert" as in coming out of your shell. I had seen hundreds of cicadas and shells over the years but had never seen them together. Your site is a gem. I found it as a link from an Earthlink newsletter I get. Keep up the good work !!!
Mike Blevins.



Hi Mike,
The reality of the situation is that we did like your photo and did plan to post it. On a busy day, we might get 100 letters. It takes us about an hour to post four letters. We cannot post nor respond to every letter. We are not getting paid to run this site. It is something we enjoy doing in addition to our fulltime job, home chores, daily routines and various and other sundry pleasures and obligations. Mom is currently on her yearly visit and arrived the day your letter did, which is limiting our online time allotment. In the general scheme of things, waiting four days for a response is not out of the ordinary. In these days of virtual mail, instant gratification has become an expectation instead of a pleasure. We apologize for any inconvenience our tardiness has caused you. We have taken the liberty of removing your image from the frame you provided as it did not agree with our site's aesthetic. We also changed the orientation of your image to maximize its size. If that is a problem let us know and we will remove the image. Have a nice day.
P.S. Your cicada is an Annual Cicada in the genus Tibicen. The Periodical Cicadas, Magicicada species, must wait 17 years underground for maturity.

Periodical Cicada Swarm (last year: Brood X)
(07/23/2005) Greetings Bugman!
Last summer in may we were blessed with thousands of these creatures! I cannot remember if this is the 17 year cycle cicada, or if it is a different amount of time. being a night creature myself, I decided to watch the emergence of these wonderful bugs from its previous shell. the first two pictures were taken may 15th 2004 - 2:00 a.m., 4:00 am. (not included was the 1:00 pm next day of the completely dry cicada next to its shell.) The third might have been from another night. The 4th picture is just to show the abundance of them in our backyard. (Columbus, Indiana) When they first arrived, we only heard the gentle cooing hum of the females(?) and we all thought there was something wrong with the powerlines! I just thought you might like to add these to your collection!
Lydia C. Burris



Hi Lydia,
Thanks for your awesome images. These are the Periodical Cicadas, sometimes called the 17 Year Locust. There are many different broods, and yours are from Brood X, one of the largest. Every different locale gets these amazing creatures in a different yearly cycle. Having different cycles helps to ensure the perpetuation of the species. There are also 14 Year Periodical Cicadas.

Update from David Gracer (06/12/2006)
www.slshrimp.com
Cicadas both annual and, particularly, periodic have been popular human food for a very long time. Native Americans ate them; they're popular in Africa, Asia, and Australia. Aristotle, extolling how delicious he found cicadas, preferred them still in the brown shell that the adult form hatches out of. In 2004 I drove to Princeton NJ and harvested several pounds off the trees. I even popped a couple of the newly emerged white ones down the hatch. Very soft, creamy and good, like asparagus (which other tasters have commented upon.) Cooked and crunchy-hard they're still great; nutty.

Dogday Harvestflies Mating
(07/21/2005) Mating Cicadas?
Greetings "bugman" - once again!
I recently sent you a picture of a cidada husk, with a drousy bee near it in the same position, to which you were kind enough to identify the husk for me. In the same spot in my Wheaton, Illinois garden, 20 m. west of Chicago, I was today able to photograph these two insects mating. I assume they are cicadas, though their markings are different to all those on your web site. It may be common to photograph these insects mating, but I was able to take about twenty photographs, from beginning to end of the mating, until the male flew off. It was interesting that in some pictures the male is pinning the female's wing, so she could not leave, and he was the first to take off! Please let me know if this is a particular species of cicada, and whether typical of this region. Again, you are welcome to post the pictures, if of interest.
Best wishes, John Walford



Hi Again John,
Your mating Cicada photos will be a welcome addition to our new Love Among the Bugs page as well as the Cicada page. Your cicada is one of the Annual Cicadas, also known as the Dogday Harvestfly, Tibicen species.

Cicada
(07/17/2005) What kind of bug is this?
We found this bug in our garden. We live in La Habra, CA (Orange County, near LA).  It didn't move much and started making a barely audible, high pitched, sound before it took off.  It was about an inch long.
Thanks,
Pete



Hi Pete,
This is a Cicada. Western species are not as large as eastern species and tropical species get very large.

Cicada Skin	House Centipede named Bob

Cicada Skins
(07/05/2005) What bugs is this?
Found these in a garden in the North Quabbin Area of Franklin County, MA.  These things are everywhere and we cannot seem to figure out what they are or how to get rid of them.
Thanks!
Phillip



Hi Phillip,
This is a skin from a Cicada. Cicada nymphs live underground and feed off of the sap from tree roots. They then dig to the surface, split their skins for the final time and emerge as winged adults. They are probably buzzing in your trees now. Sorry we have no erradication advice.

Cicada Metamorphosis
(10/02/2004) cicada pictures
first, thanks for the site!  good info and great pictures.  I thought I would share these with you.  we recently found a cicada in the process of hatching, the pictures of it only halfway out of the shell have gone missing but we do still have these that show it on the shell.
the cord in the picture is a standard outdoor extension cord about 3/8 of an inch in diameter.



Thank you for your beautiful photos documenting metamorphosis of the cicada. They will greatly enhance our cicada page.

(08/10/2004) Three Bugs from near Sedona, AZ
The second photo is of what looks like a cicada, but at one inch long, much smaller than the annual (green) cicada that we had back in southwest MO where I grew up; it was also smaller than the periodical red-eyed cicada that we had there. (Boy, the bass went nuts for those!) The annual cicadas that I am familiar with get really loud with their "singing," while these little guys made clicking sounds. I thought there was an electronic bug zapper somewhere, but it was the clicking of a bazillion of these things. They were thick as thieves in the Oak Creek Canyon area just northeast of Sedona in June 2003.If you can identify any of these, I'd be grateful.
Su -- Mesa, AZ



Hi Su,
Your Cicada could be one of several species. Often Western Cicadas are much smaller than the Eastern Cicadas you are used to seeing. The Small Grass Cicada, Okanagana minuta is just over 1/2 an inch in length. "The color varies," according to Essig, "from straw or tan to black or a combination of these colors, and with orange or pink blotches at the bases of the wings." Your photo seems to illustrate such blotches. Vanduzee's Cicada, Okanagana vanduzeri, is a common species that reaches 3/4 inch in length. It is also shiny black with irregular orange markings.

Hey, I see you posted my bugs!    I thought you might be interested in another bugman's take on this cicada. See his response below.   
Regards, Su   Su Rogers-Fink
Su,
The cicada pictured is Platypedia putnami and this is a wing snapper. Usually they'll sit in a bush in numbers and do as you described by manipulating their wings which snap (sometimes called crepitating). Oh we have lots of fancy terms for sound production. Beyond that I don't know much of their life history. I imagine they stay underground from 1-2 years, then emerge just as others do. We have about 35-40 species of cicadas in AZ, none quite like the 17 year. But they are quite fun. Anyway it is little wonder nobody knew about this cicada because its presence just isn't spectacular so it takes a good naturalist to find them. Enjoy. Well I just did a google search and have copied and attached an article about this cicada. Funny I found another website that had all incorrect info so if you search this is the correct story.  And funny thing, it looks like I copied it to tell you in my words above. Carl
Platypedia putnami http://www.nku.edu/~hastings/New%20Mexico%20Web/pputnami.htm
P. putnami , is an annual cicada that emerges from May to June.  Their habitat tends to be mixed coniferous forests, and seem to prefer elevations from 1200 to 3000 meters.  The genes of Playpedia use a different mode of signaling compared to their cousins, such as in the genes of Magicicada.  This genes as well as most others use an organ called the timbal to produce courtship songs.  In Platypedia, this organ is vestigial.  Hence it is believed that the acoustic signal produced by Platypedia comes from the slapping of its wings either against its perch or its abdomen and possibly a combination of both.  Dr. Allen Sanborn published a scientific paper in the Entomological Society of America about the acoustic signal of Platypedia putnami . He describes their signal as a sound produced from slapping the wings against a perch or other vegetation, or otherwise known as crepitations.     There is not much known about this species of cicada and ongoing research is being done to explore their ecology and behavior.  This site is dedicated to the research that has been done and will be done on this species.

Dogday Harvestfly
(08/09/2004) A cicada for you
Eek!
From Darrell James
Poughkeepsie, ny



Thanks for the photo Darrell, We just got a new book with an unusual common name for your Annual Cicada, genus Tibicen. They are sometimes called Dogday Harvesflies because they are seen during the hot, "dog days" of summer.

Annual Cicada by a Structuralist Insect Photographer
(08/05/2004) A few for your collection!
Hi there Bug People!
I like to photograph only the most taken for granted of things in the world...lowly mushrooms and fungus, insects, small rodents, amphibians, etc... I have included a few ( a very small sampling ) of my 'insect world' favorites for 2004. Hope you enjoy them! (Personally, I love the Imperial Moth that befriended my hand...the Stag is second place) All of these photos are from the location described below.
Kindest Regards,
Scott Pierson
Actual Location Data: (of all insect photos attached) Earleville, MD - in a small, private community named 'Hazelmoor'.
Latitude: 39.4401 Longitude: -76.0247
Time is always (approx) between the hours of  20:30 to 00:00 hrs, EDT



My Goodness, Scott,
I admire the structuralist tendencies you have applied to your insect photographs. We also like your photo of a poor dead Annual Cicada.

Cicada Skin
(07/31/2004) Bug against the house
Found this guy next to the back door. It's around 2 inches long, I believe. Didn't want to get too close. What kind of bug is it? I'm located in Garland, TX. I'm within the Dallas metro area.
Thanks much!
Olga



Hi Olga,
You have sent in a discarded skin from a Cicada. These large fly-like insects spend their nymph stage underground sucking nourishment from the roots of trees. Then they emerge from the underground, shed their skins and fly away. They make a loud buzzing noise in the hot days of summer. Some species, known as Periodical Cicadas or 17 Year Locusts, spend 17 years underground and emerge in great numbers, creating a deafing chorus. This year was the notorious Brood X year and large numbers of Cicadas were found in many eastern cities. Your specimen is probably one of the Annual Cicadas.

Annual Cicada
(07/05/2004) Cicada or Katydid?
This bug was found on our family's July 4th camping trip at Belton Lake southwest of Waco, Texas.  Is it a Secada or Katydid and are they the same thing?
Thanks,
Melinda



Dear Melinda,
Cicadas and Katydids are different insects.  Katydids look llike green grasshoppers, and Cicadas look like giant flies. Your Cicada is a pretty green color. I don't know the exact species name. Eric Eaton wrote us that Tibicen superbus is the only species with an all-green front half.

Brood X is coming!
(03/02/2004) May 1st and Seceda Bugs
Dear Bugman,
Hi.  I'm getting married May 1, 2004 in lovely N. Virginia and am planning an outside reception.   Someone mentioned recently that the secadas are due to come out this year and they start right around that time.  Please advise if you think this is the case or if there are certain treatments you can have done or certain candles or lights you can have to turn them away. Please help me  :)  BTW - what exactly is a secada?
Many thanks.
MK

Dear MK,
According to our sources, Brood X of the 17 Year Cicada or Periodical Cicada, Magicicada septendecim, is due to emerge this year.  They are noisy, but will not attack your wedding guests.   Nothing will keep them away.  Here is information I am reprinting from the National Geographic website:
"Get ready, Brood X is coming. This May billions of black, shrimp-size bugs with transparent wings and beady red eyes will carpet trees in the U.S. from the eastern seaboard west through Indiana and south to Tennessee. By the end of June they'll be gone, not to be heard from or seen again for 17 years. "Many people view them with horror or as an aberration and don't appreciate that they are a natural part of our eastern forests," said John Cooley, a cicada expert at the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The bugs belong to the largest group, or brood, of periodical cicadas-insects that spend most of their lives as nymphs, burrowed underground and sucking sap from tree roots. They emerge once every 17 years, transform into adults, do the business of reproduction, and then die."

Thanks.  The Washington Post and NYT have both printed recent articles.
Thanks again.

Cicada Skins
(11/17/2003) unidentified bug
Dear Larry,
I believe this is an exoskeleton but I don’t know what it is.  There were about a dozen of these on my orange tree.  I hope the new bug isn’t harmful to my citrus trees.  I live on Florida ’s southeast coast about twenty minutes from the ocean.  What is this thing?  I wish the pictures were better but all I have is a small digital camera.
Cheryl

Dear Cheryl,
I don't know who Larry is, but I do know what your bug is. These are the shed skins of some type of cicada, either annual or periodical. The nymphs live underground and feed off of the sap in the tree roots. In the case of the periodical cicadas (17 or 13 year locusts) they emerge after an extended period of time underground, which makes them the insects with the longest life spans. The adults are responsible for the buzzing sounds you hear in the trees on warm summer and autumn nights. When they appear en masse, the periodical locusts are an unforgettable sight. The annual cicadas belong to the genus Tibicen, and periodical cicadas belong to the genus Magicicada. Adults which fly will eat the leaves from many deciduous trees.

(9/7/2003)
A few weeks ago, my wife and I saw this exact bug on our porch but the previous one was about 4 inches long. This one is about 2 inches long. We were really amazed at the weird features of the head and eyes. We live in Elverson, PA which is just outside of Lancaster, PA in the Amish Country. In the pictures, the colors are not nearly as pronounced, but the green is very light and bright green color. I am sorry I didn't have a better picture cam, the one I have is about 5 years old, so the quality is not the greatest.
Erik R. Samson

Hi Erik,
They are photos of an Annual Cicada, Tibicen species. We have an additional letter with a photo and a detailed answer on our homepage.

My wife and I had thought maybe it was a Cicada judging from the pictures we
saw on your site, but we weren't 100% sure.  Now we are, and thank you

(9/1/2003) Hello Bug Man,
I live in Canada, a short distance north of Toronto Ontario. This afternoon a large bug landed on our deck at the back of our house. I grew up in the country and have spent many days camping but have never seen a bug like this. It's body is about 1 1/4 inches long and proportionally quite thick. I'm wondering if this is some sort of dragonfly that isn't mature yet, however it is to a typical dragonfly what a lineman is to a quarterback. Not as long perhaps but very much heavier. It's body is about 3 times as long as it is wide. It has two wings that are similar in appearance to a dragonfly, transparent with black veins. On closer exam it looks that there may be a second smaller set tucked under the larger ones. What appears to be the part of the larger wings that would be forward in flight is green. (I would call that the biggest bone if it wasn't a bug I was looking at.) It's face is wide and the large bulbus eyes are set wide on the face. It has green and black markings on the head and back. The black marks are like 3/4 ovals set beside each other with a line of green cutting them off. Between and above the eyes is a green patch surrounded by black. On the underside there are six sets of legs, and behind that are 6 segments that sort of remind me of a moth. I'm not sure what else to say.
I've had a look through your site and haven't found a photo that matches. As a suggestion, a simple diagram on your site that points to the standard parts of a bug would help the bug novices like myself provide the critical information to you. Perhaps there is one but I didn't locate it. I'm sure these things I have described have proper names.
Thanks for your time,
Steve.

Dear Steve,
I would guess you saw an annual cicada of the genus Tibicen, maybe the Dog Day Cicada, Tibicen pruinosa. They look rather like giant flies. They are responsible for the high pitched buzzing sound that issues from trees in the summer. Here is a photo I downloaded from a site:
http://www.gpnc.org/dogday.htm
Let us know if the picture matches your siting.

That is an excellent guess.   Amazing that I've listened to them for my entire life but until now had no idea what they looked like.
Thanks.

(9/12/2003) Noisy Tree
I have a neighbour who has a problem with a sound coming from a tree in his backyard ( we live in southern Ontario). It sounds quite a bit like a sqwaking bird but on investigation there does not seem to be a bird present. The sound begins at dusk and continues EVERY 5 seconds!!! through the night. My neighbour thinks that it may stop early in the morning ie around 2 am although this may just be the time he passes out because this thing has driven him to drink. Is it possible that a bug would produce such a loud, persistent, irrititating noise?
Thank you for your help.
BillyD

Dear BillyD,
Cicadas can be very loud, especially in the late summer.

(4/3/2003)
I added a few other pictures. Not sure what they all are but hopefully you can use them somewhere!  Let me know if you can view these pictures and if you like them.  I have a some more pics of other bugs. I didn't want to over load you with a bunch of pictures you didn't want.  You have my permission to use them as you please if any of them are worth posting!  Take care
Bruce Rose
Huntingtown, MD

Thanks, Bruce,
for the wonderful photo of the periodical cicada, or 17-Year Locust.