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Project Noah Nature School
Aleeta curvicosta
Aleeta curvicosta, commonly known as the "floury baker" or "floury miller", known until 2003 as Abricta curvicosta, is an Australian native species of cicada, and one of Australia's most familiar insects. The song of the male floury baker is a distinctive hiss that can be heard at any time of the day. It starts with short one-second hisses and speeds up into a long continuous hiss that, on warm evenings, can last for up to 20 minutes. It is deafening, to say the least, but it's a wonderful summer sound. The adult cicadas feed on tree sap. Food species for a variety of birds including: grey fantails, noisy minors, peewees, pied & grey butcherbirds, torresian crows and tawny frogmouths. Frogmouths and bearded dragons (lizard) have also been observed feeding on emerging nymphs, and both adults and nymphs can also be preyed upon by cicada killer wasps.
Toohey Forest is a remnant eucalyptus woodland reserve of approximately 655 hectares. The forest is situated within an urban area on the south side of Brisbane, within the city limits. This cicada was spotting on a tree located in the riparian zone along one of the creeks. Usual habitat include humid areas of open forest, mangroves, paperbark woodlands, city parks and suburban gardens.
Listen to the floury baker call and this amazing bush chorus. I close my eyes and feel like I'm out in the bush..... https://soundcloud.com/dr-pop-3/cicada-f...
The attached call is indeed a floury baker but these photos are of a Razor Grinder.. one of the loudest cicadas in Australia!
The floury millers want whistle while they work but they don't have lips. So sad :(
Did you listen to the recording, Hema? I love the sound of cicadas. Many people would be familiar with the song of the floury baker, but I doubt they would know what they look like.
I also have a very mild case of tinnitus, and the only time I don't hear it is when the local buzzies are buzzing. They have the perfect pitch that seems to cancel it out.
Likewise! I have heaps of them on USB and often play them instead of music. Great way to learn your local buzzies.
Thanks, Mark. That is an excellent recording, and the bush chorus is absolutely amazing. I've been playing loud - I just love that summer sound.
Spotted on Feb 16, 2020
Submitted on Feb 22, 2020
