Cyclochila australasiae
Encyclopedia
Cyclochila australasiae, commonly known as the green grocer, is a species of cicada
and one of Australia's most familiar insects. It is distributed through coastal regions of southeastern Australia. It is one of the loudest insects in the world.
Cyclochila australasiae was formerly commonly known as the Great Green Cicada; in addition, the various colour forms have different vernacular names, including Yellow Monday for a common yellow morph; Chocolate Soldier for a rare dark tan form; and Blue Moon for a rare turquoise form. The names for the green and yellow forms have been recorded since at least 1896. The species was first described by amateur zoologist Edward Donovan
as Tettigonia australasiae in 1805, while Ernst Friedrich Germar
named it Cicada olivacea in 1830.
Cyclochila australasiae measures about 4 cm (1.6 in) in length, with a wingspan of 11-13 cm (4-5 in). Diverse colour forms are seen, the most common being predominantly green or brownish yellow. It has red eyes. The exuvia, or discarded empty exoskeleton of the nymph form, is commonly seen on tree trunks in gardens and bushland during the summer months.
The loud calls of the male are heard over the summer months; harsh and high-pitched, these may reach 150 decibel
s. The sound is made by the rapid buckling of the timbal ribs, and amplified by resonation in an air sac; the frequency is around 4.3 kHz. Calls occur in the afternoon and dusk of warm days.
Cyclochila australasiae is found from Kroombit Tops
in southeastern Queensland through eastern New South Wales and Victoria to the Grampians
, and through to Mount Gambier
in southeastern South Australia. It is common along the Great Dividing Range
, and is also found in the Warrumbungles
. It is commonly seen (and heard) around Sydney and Melbourne, the Blue Mountains and Gippsland
. In Brisbane, it is only encountered at elevations above 300 m (1000 ft).
The cicada spends seven years in nymph form drinking sap from plant roots underground before emerging from the earth as an adult. The adults, who live for six weeks, fly around, mate, and breed over the summer.
Cicada
A cicada is an insect of the order Hemiptera, suborder Auchenorrhyncha , in the superfamily Cicadoidea, with large eyes wide apart on the head and usually transparent, well-veined wings. There are about 2,500 species of cicada around the world, and many of them remain unclassified...
and one of Australia's most familiar insects. It is distributed through coastal regions of southeastern Australia. It is one of the loudest insects in the world.
Cyclochila australasiae was formerly commonly known as the Great Green Cicada; in addition, the various colour forms have different vernacular names, including Yellow Monday for a common yellow morph; Chocolate Soldier for a rare dark tan form; and Blue Moon for a rare turquoise form. The names for the green and yellow forms have been recorded since at least 1896. The species was first described by amateur zoologist Edward Donovan
Edward Donovan
Edward Donovan was an Anglo Irish writer, natural history illustrator and amateur zoologist.-Biography:Born in Cork, Ireland, Donovan was an avid collector of natural history specimens purchased mainly at auctions of specimens from voyages of exploration...
as Tettigonia australasiae in 1805, while Ernst Friedrich Germar
Ernst Friedrich Germar
Ernst Friedrich Germar was a German professor and director of the Mineralogical Museum at Halle. As well as being a mineralogist he was interested in entomology and particularly in the Coleoptera and Hemiptera. He monographed the heteropteran family Scutelleridae.Amongst Germar’s publications...
named it Cicada olivacea in 1830.
Cyclochila australasiae measures about 4 cm (1.6 in) in length, with a wingspan of 11-13 cm (4-5 in). Diverse colour forms are seen, the most common being predominantly green or brownish yellow. It has red eyes. The exuvia, or discarded empty exoskeleton of the nymph form, is commonly seen on tree trunks in gardens and bushland during the summer months.
The loud calls of the male are heard over the summer months; harsh and high-pitched, these may reach 150 decibel
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
s. The sound is made by the rapid buckling of the timbal ribs, and amplified by resonation in an air sac; the frequency is around 4.3 kHz. Calls occur in the afternoon and dusk of warm days.
Cyclochila australasiae is found from Kroombit Tops
Kroombit Tops National Park
Kroombit Tops is a national park in Central Queensland, Australia. Located between Monto and Calliope in The Boyne Valley, it is 399 km northwest of Brisbane. Cania Gorge National Park is located approximately 25 km to the south....
in southeastern Queensland through eastern New South Wales and Victoria to the Grampians
Grampians National Park
The Grampians National Park is a national park in Victoria, Australia, 235 kilometres west of Melbourne. The Park was listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 15 December 2006 for its outstanding natural beauty and being one of the richest indigenous rock art sites in south-eastern...
, and through to Mount Gambier
Mount Gambier, South Australia
Mount Gambier is the largest regional city in South Australia located approximately 450 kilometres south of the capital Adelaide and just 17 kilometres from the Victorian border....
in southeastern South Australia. It is common along the Great Dividing Range
Great Dividing Range
The Great Dividing Range, or the Eastern Highlands, is Australia's most substantial mountain range and the third longest in the world. The range stretches more than 3,500 km from Dauan Island off the northeastern tip of Queensland, running the entire length of the eastern coastline through...
, and is also found in the Warrumbungles
Warrumbungles
The Warrumbungles is the name of a mountain range and National Park located in northern New South Wales, Australia. The nearest town to the Warrumbungles is Coonabarabran...
. It is commonly seen (and heard) around Sydney and Melbourne, the Blue Mountains and Gippsland
Gippsland
Gippsland is a large rural region in Victoria, Australia. It begins immediately east of the suburbs of Melbourne and stretches to the New South Wales border, lying between the Great Dividing Range to the north and Bass Strait to the south...
. In Brisbane, it is only encountered at elevations above 300 m (1000 ft).
The cicada spends seven years in nymph form drinking sap from plant roots underground before emerging from the earth as an adult. The adults, who live for six weeks, fly around, mate, and breed over the summer.