Cicada

Description:

These Unidentified Cicadidae were clinging, in a vertical position, to a young sapling. This ensures that their wings are well formed when they dry and stiffen after being inflated with haemolymph. Their colour blended well with the bark of the sapling, making them quite difficult to see - good camouflage. There were numerous Cicadas on this little tree, but some were out of reach. You can see that each of the last two photos shows more than one Cicada.

Habitat:

These Unidentified Cicadidae were spotted in an uncultivated corner of the farm. They were all on the same unidentified sapling, which had no foliage and looked very dry. I could not identify the sapling and I was not sure that it was still alive. In the harsh conditions, at the height of the dry season, many young saplings do not have sufficiently deep roots to reach the receding water table.