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Project Noah Nature School
Tibicen pronotalis
Orange body with black and white shapes on its back. Its abdomen is covered in this white hairy stuff. While holding it, it doesnt really try to escape, but when you hold it from its sides it tends to screech really loud. The sound apparently is coming from several plates in its abdomen vibrating against each other. This is different from a grasshopper or cricket, which rub their legs against their wings to make the sound. Really quite an interesting insect since it doesnt have and mandibles or a mouth as we expect an insect would have. Instead it has a straw like tube which I expect is meant to suck flower nectar.
Up in trees.
NICE FIND!
I agree 100% = T. pronotalis.
You might also want to watch for the transition zone between pronotalis and dealbatus. Additional info can be seen here: http://bugguide.net/node/view/706360
Hi Noe and Pili, here's a link to a Wikipedia page explaining the "wax": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pruinescenc...
Nice spotting Tamir. The sound is produced by vibration of the two plates against the abdomen chamber http://www.projectnoah.org/spottings/793... . The abdomen is hollow and when inflated, the air pressure amplifies and throws the sound.
You're welcome! This particular cicada is known for having quite a bit of wax. The link I provided in the ID suggestion mentions it.
Hello, the white stuff is actually wax. Some species of cicada have a lot.
Spotted on Aug 25, 2009
Submitted on Feb 3, 2012
+1
