Tibicen
Encyclopedia
The Tibicen genus of cicada
s are large-bodied Cicadidae appearing in late summer or autumn. Like other members of the subfamily Cicadinae
, they have loud, complex songs, even (in many cases) distinct song phrases. Tibicen are the most common cicada in the United States. Unlike periodical cicadas, whose swarms occur at 13- or 17-year intervals, Tibicen species can be seen every year, hence their nickname "annual cicada
s." The lifecycle of an individual, however, is more than a year. Nymphs spend two or three years feeding on tree roots before they emerge. Their annual reappearance is due to overlapping generations. Many other colloquial names exist for Tibicens: locust, dog day cicada, harvest fly, August dry bird, jar fly, bush cicada.
Tibicen cicadas are 1-2 inches long, with characteristic green, brown, and black markings on the top of the thorax
, and tented, membranous wings extending past the abdomen. The fore pair are about twice the length of the hind pair. Males produce loud calls in the afternoon or evening (depending on the species) to attract females. These sounds, distinctive for each species, are produced by organs below the abdomen
's base. These calls range from a loud buzz to a long rattling sound. Adults feed using their beak to tap into the xylem
of plants. Nymphs feed from the xylem of roots.
Many animals feed on cicadas, which usually occurs during the final days when they become easy prey near the ground. One of the more notable predators is the cicada killer. This is a large wasp that catches the dog day cicada. After catching and stinging the insect to paralyze it, the cicada killer carries it back to its hole and drags it underground to a chamber where it lays its eggs in the paralyzed cicada. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the paralyzed, but still living, cicada.
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...
s are large-bodied Cicadidae appearing in late summer or autumn. Like other members of the subfamily Cicadinae
Cicadinae
The Cicadinae are a subfamily of cicadas, containing the translucent cicadas. They are robust cicadas and many have gaudy colors, but they generally lack the butterfly-like opaque wing markings found in many species of the related Tibiceninae....
, they have loud, complex songs, even (in many cases) distinct song phrases. Tibicen are the most common cicada in the United States. Unlike periodical cicadas, whose swarms occur at 13- or 17-year intervals, Tibicen species can be seen every year, hence their nickname "annual cicada
Annual cicada
Annual cicadas are Cicadidae species that appear every summer. The lifecycle of the so-called annual cicada typically spans 2 to 5 years; they are "annual" only in the sense that members of the species reappear annually...
s." The lifecycle of an individual, however, is more than a year. Nymphs spend two or three years feeding on tree roots before they emerge. Their annual reappearance is due to overlapping generations. Many other colloquial names exist for Tibicens: locust, dog day cicada, harvest fly, August dry bird, jar fly, bush cicada.
Tibicen cicadas are 1-2 inches long, with characteristic green, brown, and black markings on the top of the thorax
Thorax (insect anatomy)
The thorax is the mid section of the insect body. It holds the head, legs, wings and abdomen. It is also called mesosoma in other arthropods....
, and tented, membranous wings extending past the abdomen. The fore pair are about twice the length of the hind pair. Males produce loud calls in the afternoon or evening (depending on the species) to attract females. These sounds, distinctive for each species, are produced by organs below the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
's base. These calls range from a loud buzz to a long rattling sound. Adults feed using their beak to tap into the xylem
Xylem
Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants. . The word xylem is derived from the Classical Greek word ξυλον , meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout the plant...
of plants. Nymphs feed from the xylem of roots.
Many animals feed on cicadas, which usually occurs during the final days when they become easy prey near the ground. One of the more notable predators is the cicada killer. This is a large wasp that catches the dog day cicada. After catching and stinging the insect to paralyze it, the cicada killer carries it back to its hole and drags it underground to a chamber where it lays its eggs in the paralyzed cicada. When the eggs hatch, the wasp larvae feed on the paralyzed, but still living, cicada.
Species
- Tibicen auletes Germar 1834
- Tibicen aurifera Say 1825
- Tibicen bihamatus Motschulsky 1861
- Tibicen bifida Davis 1916
- Tibicen canicularis Harris 1841 : Dogday harvestflyDogday harvestflyTibicen canicularis, also known as the Dogday Harvestfly or the Annual Cicada is a species of cicada.- Description :T. canicularis is recognizable by being mostly black with green markings on on its body. The body size is typically 27-33 millimeters, the wingspan can reach 82 mm. The wings are...
- Tibicen chiricahua Davis 1923
- Tibicen chisosensis Davis 1934
- Tibicen chloromera Walker 1850 [Now Tibicen tibicen Linnaeus 1758] :
- Tibicen cultriformis Davis 1915
- Tibicen davisi Smith and Grossbeck 1907
- Tibicen dealbata Davis 1915
- Tibicen dorsata Say 1825 : Western Cicada
- Tibicen duryi Davis 1917
- Tibicen figurata Walker 1858
- Tibicen inauditus Davis 1917
- Tibicen linnei Smith and Grossbeck 1907 : Linne's Cicada
- Tibicen longiopercula Davis 1926
- Tibicen lyricen De Geer 1773
- Tibicen montezuma Distant 1881
- Tibicen ochreoptera Townsend 1892
- Tibicen parallela Davis 1923
- Tibicen pruinosa Say 1825 : Scissor Grinder Cicada
- Tibicen resh Haldeman 1852
- Tibicen resonans Walker 1850
- Tibicen robinsoniana Davis 1922
- Tibicen similaris Smith and Grossbeck 1907
- Tibicen superba Fitch 1855
- Tibicen texanus Metcalf 1963
- Tibicen townsendii Uhler 1905
- Tibicen variegata Fabricius 1794
- Tibicen walkeri Metcalf 1955
External links
- Massachusetts Cicadas describes behavior, sightings, photos, "how to find" guide, videos and distribution maps of New England and U.S. periodical and annual cicada species including Tibicens
- Cicada Mania has cicada news, FAQs, links, pictures and video.
- InsectSingers.com has links to pages with information and recordings of many North American Tibicen species.