insect_musicians_tibic-linnei_LE_SLIDE-350x262

Cicada

The cicadas are a group of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs) closely related to the much smaller aphids and leafhoppers with more than 1,300 species worldwide and the majority in the tropics. The dog-day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis), also colloquially known as the dogday harvestfly or heatbug in some places, is the most common species

The buzzing sound is created by rapidly flexing thin drum-like membranes (tymbals) on the underside of the abdomen at a high speed and amplifying the sound in enlarged chambers derived from the tracheae.

The dog-day cicada normally completes its development in two years.

The adult Dog Day Cicada is dark brown or black. A gold mark on the thorax is shaped like two 'V's. A green band at the back of the head stretches into its large wings. The eyes stick out of the sides of the head. Adults are not known to eat. Instead, they focus their energy on reproducing during their short lifespan. It breeds, lays eggs on branches in trees, and then it dies. Larvae hatch from the eggs and fall to the ground, burrowing down into the earth to mature. They may drink fluids from tree roots.