Cicadas of the United States and Canada

East of the 100th Meridian


 

Neotibicen similaris apalachicola



** RECORDINGS AND IMAGES MAY NOT BE REPRODUCED ELSEWHERE.  SEE THE COPYRIGHT SECTION **


 

This website provides song recordings of the cicadas of the eastern United States and Canada, approximately 65 described species and subspecies (Family Cicadidae).  Cicada songs are loud and complex, and they are made by males to attract females for mating.  These sounds are nearly always species-specific, and they provide the most reliable means of identifying most species.  The 100th meridian, which runs north-south through the western parts of the Great Plains states, is used here as a cutoff between eastern and western states since it approximates the region where divergent eastern and western faunas meet.  Approximately 110 additional cicada species are found only in the western states, mainly in the genera Platypedia and Okanagana – song recordings of 30 of these species, mainly from the southwestern US, are included on the Western Cicada Species page.

Eventually, photographs of the species will be included, along with general distribution maps.  For now, the site emphasizes the song data.  Detailed maps based on museum specimens can be found in the open-access research article by Sanborn and Phillips (2013), and additional information is available using the online database at Cicada Central.  General information on cicada ecology and behavior is readily available through the many cicada-related websites mentioned at the end of this page.

For now, the sounds are provided in MP3 format. If you have problems, try a different web browser first.

The species are listed below by subfamily and then by genus.  We began with Neotibicen because they're our favorites!  Author and date information are given for all taxonomic names.  References can be found at the comprehensive Bibliography of the Cicadoidea website.

 



A NOTE ON CLASSIFICATION

The family-level classification used here follows the revision of Marshall et al., (2018), which accompanied the first molecular phylogeny of the cicadas. North American genera affected by the changes include Diceroprocta, Magicicada, and Quesada.

A NOTE ON NOMENCLATURE

Recent New Genera - In 2015, all of the North American species formerly assigned to the genus Tibicen Latreille, 1825 were moved to one of two new genera, Neotibicen Hill and Moulds and Hadoa Moulds, following molecular phylogenetic analysis of the tribe showing that the North American species are not related to the type species of Tibicen, T. plebejus (a species from Europe, often referenced under the genus Lyristes).  Subsequently, some of those species were moved to new genera by Sanborn and Heath 2016 (Megatibicen) and by Lee 2016 (Ameritibicen, Gigatibicen, Paratibicen), although there is continuing debate about how many additional genera to use (see also Marshall and Hill 2017) p. 531.

Gender Agreement - Genera and species names are Latinized and so the words have genders (masculine, neuter or feminine, as in all Romance Languages).  By the rules of nomenclature, the gender of the genus and species must agree in certain cases.  Thus, the ending of a species epithet (the second part of a species' name) can shift gender when species are moved between genera.  So if you don't see the name you're looking for, (e.g., Neotibicen pruinosa, species epithet feminine), look for an alternative ending (pruinosus, which agrees with the masculine Neotibicen).  Similarly, a species may be located under a different genus name than expected – Melampsalta calliope, for example, is currently Cicadettana calliope.  We have included widely-recognized older names in a few cases so searching on them within the page may be useful.

A CALL FOR DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION

One purpose of this website is to increase awareness of the different species and their approximate distributions in order to generate new data. We are interested to hear about significant range extensions if they are backed up with a well-documented specimen (with accurate locality, date, and collector information) or recording.  Even a cell-phone recording of a cicada can be sufficient to identify a species.  Again, detailed information for each of the species is available using the research paper at this link.

 



SUBFAMILY CICADINAE Latreille, 1802

Cicadas of the subfamily Cicadinae tend toward large size and loud, complex songs, often with complex frequency harmonics.  Some species, such as many from the genus Neotibicen, sing distinct song phrases, while other species (especially in Diceroprocta) sing monotonous, continuous songs.  Pair-formation is variable, with males almost entirely stationary in some species (especially Diceroprocta, Beameria) and highly mobile (alternating song bouts with flight) in others.

Many USA species from this subfamily have recently been transferred from the genus Tibicen (see also here, here, and here).

 

Genus Cacama Distant, 1904

  • Cacama is a southwestern genus with three representatives extending east of the 100th meridian into Texas, Oklahoma, and southwestern Kansas. Known as the "cactus dodgers", these species perch on low vegetation and produce complex songs with interesting frequency harmonics.


SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Cacama collinaplaga

Sanborn and Heath, 2011

 

  • Very similar to C. valvata.
  • Central Texas only.

Cacama valvata

(Uhler, 1888)

SONG

  • The most widely distributed Cacama species.

Cacama variegata

Davis, 1919

  • Southern Texas into Mexico.

 

Genus Megatibicen Sanborn and Heath, 2016

  • The genera Megatibicen and Neotibicen contain most of the larger, louder North American cicada species. Most Megatibicen are large-bodied cicadas with mainly brown, black, and orange coloration. Some species, including the largest North American cicada M. auletes, have been assigned to the new genus Gigatibicen Lee, 2016, but Sanborn and Heath (2016) have argued for keeping those species in Megatibicen.


SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Megatibicen auletes

(Germar, 1834)

 

SONG

  • The largest North American cicada species.
  • Grating slow-pulsed song.
  • Calls from high in large trees.
  • Song similar to M. resh and M. resonans.

Megatibicen dealbatus

(Davis, 1915)

SONG

  • Song identical to M. pronotalis.
  • Calls from cottonwoods and willows, usually along streams and rivers.

Megatibicen dorsatus

(Say, 1825)

SONG

  • Song and morphology similar to M. tremulus.
  • Calls from short prairie vegetation.

Megatibicen figuratus

(Walker, 1858)

SONG

  • Male sings a short phrase with long silent periods.
  • Prefers southern conifers.
  • Wings very narrow.

Megatibicen harenosus

Cole, 2017

SONG

  • Song and morphology similar to M. tremulus and M. dorsatus.
  • Found just west of the 100th meridian in TX and NM.

Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis

(Davis, 1938)

SONG

  • Song identical to M. dealbatus.
  • Calls from cottonwoods and willows, usually growing along streams and rivers.
  • Most individuals have black pronotal blotch.

Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri

(Metcalf, 1955)

SONG

  • Song identical to M. dealbatus.
  • Calls from cottonwoods and willows, usually growing along streams and rivers.
  • Most individuals lack black pronotal blotch.

Megatibicen resh

(Haldeman, 1852)

SONG

  • Calls from high in trees.
  • Song similar to M. auletes and M. resonans.

Megatibicen resonans

(Walker, 1850)

SONG

  • Calls from high in southern pine trees.
  • Similar in morphology to M. figuratus but larger and wings wider.
  • Song similar to M. resh and M. auletes.

Megatibicen tremulus

(Cole, 2008)

SONG

  • Song and morphology similar to M. dorsatus.
  • Calls from short prairie vegetation.

 

Genus Neotibicen Hill and Moulds, 2015

  • Neotibicen contains most of the remaining larger, louder North American cicada species, which are commonly referred to as the "Dog Day Cicadas".  All have green, brown, and black coloration.  Most Neotibicen emerge during mid-to-late summer and have long song phrases, although some have continuous songs, and most prefer deciduous forest trees although a significant minority specialize on southern conifers.  A few species extend into Canada and Mexico. In one extraordinary case, two subspecies with interlocking distributions produce dramatic hybrid songs where they meet (open access paper link here, hybrid song example here).


SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Neotibicen auriferus

(Say, 1825)

SONG

  • Song similar to that of N. canicularis and N. davisi.
  • Calls from short to medium-high prairie vegetation.

Neotibicen canicularis

(Harris, 1841)

SONG

  • Song similar to, but less resonant than, that of N. auriferus and N. davisi.
  • Often calls from conifers.

Neotibicen davisi davisi

(Smith and Grosbeck,

1907)

SONG

  • Song similar to N. auriferus but more resonant than N. canicularis.
  • Often calls from southern conifers.

Neotibicen davisi harnedi

(Davis, 1918)

SONG

  • No song difference known from N. davisi davisi?
  • This recording made at a site where subsp. harnedi was captured.

Neotibicen latifasciatus

(Davis, 1915)

SONG

  • Commonly found in Atlantic coast junipers, also in FL.
  • Song nearly identical to N. winnemanna and N. pruinosus.
  • Prominent lateral white abdominal stripes (1 in males, 2 in females).
  • Does not sing much at dusk.

Neotibicen linnei

(Smith and Grosbeck, 1907)

SONG

  • Sings from high in deciduous trees.
  • Song is occasionally confused with that of N. tibicen.
  • Specimens are easily confused with N. canicularis, N. pruinosus, N. winnemanna and N. robinsonianus.

Neotibicen lyricen lyricen

(De Geer, 1773)

SONG

  • Song is a syrupy, constant drone, ca. 1/2 to 1 min.
  • Calls from high in deciduous trees.
  • Pronotal collar is black, dorsal thorax colouration varies from mostly black to having substantial green markings.

Neotibicen lyricen virescens

(Davis, 1935)

SONG

  • Song is a syrupy drone, ca. 1/2 to 1 min.
  • Calls from high in deciduous trees.
  • Pronotal collar is black, dorsal thorax colour beautifully patterned with large patches of blueish green.

Neotibicen pruinosus

(Say, 1925)

SONG

  • Calls from high in deciduous trees, "wee-ooo, wee-ooo".
  • Song nearly identical to N. winnemanna and N. latifasciatus.
  • Loves to call at dusk.

Neotibicen robinsonianus

(Davis, 1922)

SONG

  • Green pronotal collar with faint dark median stripe.
  • Sings high in deciduous trees or junipers.
  • Unusual song with separated raspy echemes.

Neotibicen similaris similaris

(Smith and Grosbeck, 1907)

SONG

Click here for distribution map

  • Distinctive, clacky song with sudden acceleration.
  • Hybridizes with N. similaris apalachicola where they meet. Song examples here.
  • Calls from high in deciduous and coniferous trees.
  • Publication free to public here.

Neotibicen similaris apalachicola

Marshall and Hill, 2017

SONG

Click here for distribution map

  • Slow, ventriloquistic, oscillating song.
  • Morphology very similar to N. similaris similaris.
  • Calls from high in deciduous and coniferous trees.
  • Publication here. Hybrid song examples here.

Neotibicen superbus

(Fitch, 1855)

SONG

  • Distinctive sputtering song phrases.
  • Bright green with a black mask across the eyes.
  • Calls from deciduous trees, not too high.

Neotibicen tibicen australis

(Davis, 1912)

SONG

  • Bright green mesothorax colouration.
  • Green pronotal collar.
  • Call from medium height in trees.

Neotibicen tibicen tibicen

(Linnaeus, 1758)

(= Thopha chloromera

Walker, 1850)

SONG

  • Mesothorax black or with faint green/brown markings.
  • Black pronotal collar.
  • Most commonly encountered Neotibicen, partly because it often sings from lower branches of deciduous trees.
  • Until recently referred to as Tibicen chloromera.

Neotibicen winnemanna

(Davis, 1912)

SONG

  • Calls from high in deciduous trees, "wee-ooo, wee-ooo".
  • Song nearly identical to N. pruinosus and N. latifasciatus.
  • Loves to call at dusk.

 

Genus Hadoa Moulds, 2015

  • Hadoa contains most of the larger western North American cicada species formerly placed in Tibicen; only one species is well-represented east of the 100th meridian. All are large-bodied with generally orange, brown, and black coloration.  These species appear in the spring.  Many have long song phrases or semi-continuous songs, and they are found on a variety of western plant hosts.  Additional species are known from Mexico.


SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Hadoa texana

(Metcalf, 1963)

(=Tibicen tigrinus Davis, 1927)

SONG

  • Song similar to N. davisi, N. canicularis and N. auriferus but continues for long periods.
  • Calls from medium height in trees in Texas.

 


Genus Diceroprocta Stål, 1870

  •  Diceroprocta species, recently moved to the tribe Fidicinini (Marshall et al., 2018), are generally medium-to-small in size, with a range of colors possible.  Most species produce long, comparatively monotonous "buzzy" songs.  Diceroprocta tend to emerge in early summer, and they are often found in soils associated with river floodplains or sandhills.  Many additional species are found in Mexico and Central America.

 

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Diceroprocta aurantiaca

Davis, 1938

SONG

  • Just approaches the 100th meridian from the west in south Texas.
  • Originally descibed as a subspecies of D. delicata.
  • Song is usually a continuous buzz, recorded male may be courting.

Diceroprocta averyi

Davis, 1941

SONG

  • Found in far southern Texas.
  • Morphologically similar to D. texana, but with wings not infuscated.
  • Song is a continuous rattly buzz.

Diceroprocta azteca

(Kirkaldy, 1881)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous train of rapid pulses.
  • Bright shiny green cicada.

Diceroprocta bequaerti

(Davis, 1917)

SONG

  • Larger than D. vitripennis, with a much wider head.
  • This recording was taken from near the Neuces River, within the published distribution in central southern Texas. Songs from another site where we collected a confirmed D. bequaerti male were very similar.

Diceroprocta biconica

(Walker, 1850)

SONG

  • These cicadas sang only once every hour during the day!
  • We have not observed them at dusk.
  • Song is a loud buzz, call from quite high in trees.
  • Found only in far southern Florida.

Diceroprocta cinctifera

(Uhler, 1892)

SONG
  • May extend just east of the 100th meridian.
  • Song and morphology is similar to D. apache and D. semicincta (two western species).

Diceroprocta delicata

(Osborn, 1906)

SONG

  • Several meadow katydids are also singing in this recording.
  • Song is usually a continuous buzz.

Diceroprocta eugraphica

(Davis, 1916)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous buzz, usually ending with several ticks.
  • Calls from low on herbs and small shrubs.

Diceroprocta olympusa

(Walker, 1850)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous buzz.
  • Calls from medium height in trees, but when common can sometimes be found in grasses and small shrubs.
  • Observed ovipositing in fence posts and palm tree bark.

Diceroprocta marevagans

Davis, 1928

SONG

  • Song is a harsh continuous buzz, ending with several ticks.

Diceroprocta texana texana

(Davis, 1916)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous train of medium-speed pulses.

Diceroprocta viridifascia

(Walker, 1850)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous train of medium-speed to rapid pulses.
  • Calls from trees and shrubs, often conifers, near beaches.

Diceroprocta vitripennis

(Say, 1830)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous train of rapid pulses.
  • Calls from high in deciduous trees.

 


 

Genus Neocicada Kato, 1932

  • Neocicada belongs to the tribe Leptopsaltriini, which is otherwise mainly found in southeast Asia.  Three of the five Neocicada species/subspecies are found in the U.S, but one is limited to western Texas.

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Neocicada hieroglyphica hieroglyphica

(Say, 1830)

SONG

  • Abdomen translucent.
  • Slightly more darkly patterned than N. h. johannis.
  • Calls from high in trees.

Neocicada hieroglyphica johannis

(Walker, 1850)

POSSIBLE

SONG

  •  This recording is from within the published range of N. hieroglyphica johannis (near Ocala, FL).  There may be no consistent differences in song between the subspecies.

 

 

Genus Pacarina Distant, 1905


  • Pacarina belongs to the tribe Fidicinini. There is only one described species of Pacarina in the USA, and other species in Central America.

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Pacarina puella

Davis, 1923

(= "Cicada signifera" Walker 1858)

SONG

  • Song is a train of very rapid, high-pitched pulses.
  • Commonly on mesquite or juniper.
  • Eyes widely set with black mask.
  • This is one of the smallest eastern cicadas.

 


Genus Beameria Davis, 1934


  • Beameria belongs to the tribe Fidicinini. These are very small cicadas with high pitched songs that sing low to the ground.

 

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Beameria venosa

(Uhler, 1888)

SONG

  • Song is a very high pitched continuous buzz.
  • Calls from very low in grasses and herbs.
  • This is one of the smallest eastern cicadas.

 

 

Genus Quesada Distant, 1905

  • Quesada is a mainly tropical genus. Its former tribe Hyantiini was recently synonymized with Fidicinini (Marshall et al., 2018). The most common species, Q. gigas, ranges from southern Texas all the way south to northern Argentina.

 

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Quesada gigas

(Olivier, 1790)

SONG

  • A very large cicada, nearly as large as Neotibicen auletes.
  • Song has been likened to a locomotive whistle.
  • Calls sporadically during the day and vigorously at dusk.
  • External website on this species.


 


 

SUBFAMILY TETTIGADINAE Distant, 1905

The subfamily Tettigadinae is well-represented in North America, with seven genera together containing the lion's share of our cicada species.  Only a small fraction of these species reach the eastern region and all belong to the genus Okanagana.  Some Tettigadinae species in the Western states (in the genera Platypedia and Neoplatypedia) have lost their timbals and communicate entirely by wing-banging.


Genus Okanagana Distant, 1905

  • Songs of these species are generally monotonous, and males sing for long periods from one site. Many prefer to sing from pines or other conifers. Most species are active in spring or early summer. Some northern species have very large distributions reaching across the continent. Most species are black with orange, red or yellow markings, but a few have green colouration. The genus is classified in the tribe Tibicinini.

 

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Okanagana balli

Davis 1919

SONG

  • Song clip provided by John Cooley.
  • Similar to but smaller than O. rimosa and O. canadensis.

Okanagana canadensis

(Provancher, 1889)

SONG

  • Song is a train of high-pitched pulses.
  • Call from high in northern conifers.

Okanagana hesperia

(Uhler, 1876)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous sharp buzz.
  • Call from short prairie vegetation.

Okanagana noveboracensis

(Emmons 1854)

 
  • We have not yet collected this species.
  • Morphology very similar to O. rimosa and O. canadensis.

Okanagana rimosa ohioensis

Davis, 1942

 
  • We have not yet collected this subspecies.
  • Morphology very similar to O. r. rimosa, but larger.

Okanagana rimosa rimosa

(Say, 1830)

SONG

  • Song is a continuous whining buzz.
  • Morphology very similar to O. canadensis, but with red rather than yellow.

Okanagana synodica

(Say, 1825)

SONG

  • Smallest eastern Okanagana with two distinct color forms.
  • Song consists of irregularly produced buzzes.

Okanagana viridis

Davis, 1918

SONG

  • A bright green, glossy cicada.
  • Song is a continuous, thin buzz lasting around 30 seconds.
  • Calls from very high in deciduous trees.
  • Found in rare lowland forest patches of south-central states.

 



 

SUBFAMILY CICADETTINAE Buckton, 1809

All North American cicadas of the subfamily Cicadettinae are medium-sized to small, and all possess a pair-forming system in which males alternate short song bouts with short flights.  Songs are often high-pitched and contain broad-spectrum, "clicky" or "buzzy" sound.

 

Genus Cicadettana Marshall & Hill, 2017

  • The small, often overlooked cicadas of the genus Cicadettana are the few American representatives of the largest cicada tribe, the Cicadettini, which contains hundreds of species around the world.  The songs of Cicadettana species are usually high-pitched and difficult to hear, and they have a duetting mode of pair-formation in which the female responds to the male's song with a timed wing-flick that attracts him for mating. Frequency-downshifted versions of some of the songs are provided below which roughly maintain the song pattern.  Most of these species have been discussed at one time or another under the generic names Melampsalta or Cicadetta.

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

PHOTOS NOT READY YET MAPS NOT READY YET COMMENTS

Cicadettana calliope calliope

(Walker, 1850)

SONG

LOW-PITCH VERSION

  • Song is very high-pitched short echemes followed by longer ones.
  • Calls mainly from grasses.

Cicadettana calliope floridensis

(Davis, 1920)

  • Calls from low scrubby vegetation.

Cicadettana camerona

(Davis, 1920)

SONG

  • Song is a fast train of sharp, resonant pulses.
  • Calls from shrubs and grasses.
  • Only in far south Texas.

Cicadettana kansa

(Davis, 1919)

SONG

  • Song is a slow train of short "peeps".
  • Produces a long buzz during flight.
  • Song is the same as C. texana.
  • Calls from grasses.

Cicadettana texana

(Davis, 1936)

SONG

  •  Recording is slightly overloaded which decreases the apparent pitch.  Buzz toward the end occurred during a flight to a new perch.
  • Song is the same as C. kansa.
  • Calls from grasses.

 

 

Genus Magicicada Davis, 1925

  • Magicicada contains the seven "periodical cicada" species, famous for their synchronous emergences of millions of adults once every 13 or 17 years, depending on species.  In all species females reply to males with timed wing-flick signals, so males can be easily attracted and induced to produce courtship behavior with well-timed finger-snaps. Magicicada is classified in the large tribe Lamotialnini (Marshall et al., 2018).
  • The links below connect to the Periodical Cicada section of Cicada Central at the University of Connecticut, which also contains recordings of the unique courtship songs of these species, photographs, and extensive life-history and distributional information.
  • There are three species groups identifiable by the ending of the species epithet (-decim, -cassini, -decula).  Each species group contains cicadas with very similar songs and morphology, but usually with different life-cycles.  Species of the same life-cycle length are commonly sympatric and synchronic, emerging in the same 13th or 17th year.  However, communities in different regions of the country are out of phase, creating 13- and 17-year "broods".  The distributions of these broods are mapped in detail at the Cicada Central site.


** Please report observations on Magicicada emergences to Cicadas.uconn.edu. **

 

SPECIES

SONG

(MP3 - CLICK LINK)

COMMENTS

Magicicada cassini

(Fisher, 1851)

EXTERNAL LINK

  • 17-year species.
  • Originally spelled cassinii, but single-i spelling now in prevailing usage (see Marshall 2022) (open access).

Magicicada neotredecim

Marshall and Cooley 2000

SONG

  • 13-year species.

Magicicada septendecim

(Linnaeus, 1758)

EXTERNAL LINK

  • 17-year species.

Magicicada septendecula

Alexander and Moore, 1962

EXTERNAL LINK

  • 17-year species.

Magicicada tredecassini

Alexander and Moore, 1962

EXTERNAL LINK

  • 13-year species.
  • Original and correct spelling ends with one "i".

Magicicada tredecim

(Walsh and Riley, 1868)

SONG

  • 13-year species.

Magicicada tredecula

Alexander and Moore, 1962

EXTERNAL LINK

  • 13-year species.

 


 

Methods Notes

The recordings on this page were made by the authors using a variety of digital audio recorders (e.g., SONY TCD-D8 DAT, Marantz PMD 660, 670, or 680 compact flash models) sampling at either 44.1 or 48 kHz.  Microphones used were Sennheiser ME62 omnidirectional microphones installed in SONY PBR-330 parabolic reflectors, or similar-quality Sennheiser short- and long-gun shotgun mikes with no parabola.  (Note that parabolic reflectors introduce small "pre-click" artifacts because sound waves are recorded twice, once weakly as they arrive and then again after reflection, but these are noticeable only during very fine-scale analysis.)  Files were processed (e.g., filtering) using Canary or RavenPro v1.4 software (Cornell Bioacoustics) on Macintosh G3, G4 and intel computers, and the 128 Mbps, constant-bitrate MP3 files were generated using open-source Audacity 1.3.12-beta software.

These examples have been selected because they represent the typical song behavior as well as possible given what we have in our archives.

Most of the recordings have been filtered to remove sound below around 4 kHz, where most automobile, wind, and other environmental noise is found.  In a few cases frequencies higher than those of the target cicada have been removed, for example when a loud katydid overlapped the song of the target.  Some of the recordings have a "tinny" feel as a result of this filtering.

Many of the sound files have also been modified with "fade in" and "fade out" effects, especially when the song of the cicada is not structured into distinct phrases.

 


 

Other Websites on Cicadas and Singing Insects


Cicadamania – the oldest and best-known general website for cicada enthusiasts.

Cicadas.uconn.edu – solicits and organizes distribution records for periodical cicada broods from the public.

Cicada Central – established as a clearinghouse for research on world Cicadidae.

New Zealand Cicadas: A Virtual Identification Guide – comprehensive information on the New Zealand species.

Cicadas of Australia – an extensive website on Australian cicadas, with songs, photos, maps, and natural history.

The Canadian National Collection of Insects – general cicada identification plus information on morphology, ecology, and evolution.

Cicadasong.eu – songs and other content on European cicadas.

Cicadas of India – a major new addition with over 100 species pages.

Cicadidae in Japan – includes a database form for accessing songs of Japanese and Korean cicadas.

Slovenian Wildlife Sound Archive – from the Slovenian Museum of Natural History.

S.E. Asian Cicada Songs – from the Slovenian Museum of Natural History.

Cicada Songs from Borneo – with sonograms and some phenological data.

Checklist of South African Cicadas – from the Villet Lab, Rhodes University.

Great Lakes Cicada Page – by the author of a new book "The Season of the Cicada".

Cicadas.info – focuses on cicadas of the mid-Atlantic states.

Cicadas of Massachusetts – extensive site on New England cicadas, collecting techniques, etc.

Cicadas of Michigan – focuses on Michigan cicadas with songs and identification keys.

Cicadas of Florida – basic taxonomy, identification, and life history.

Cicada Checklist of Texas – includes detailed information on Quesada gigas

University of Michigan Periodical Cicada Site – older comprehensive site on periodical cicadas.

BugGuide.net – a general insect identification site with many cicada photos; some photo IDs may not be correct.

Songs of Insects – a companion website for a book of the same name, contains an online identification guide for songs.

Singing Insects of North America – an extensive general resource with songs, maps, and keys. Cicada section under development.

Bibliography of the Cicadoidea – a web database of scientific publications on cicadas.

 


 

Copyright Information

The sound and image files linked on this site are for personal, not-for-profit viewing and listening only and must not be duplicated, sold, or reproduced elsewhere without written permission from David Marshall [cicada "at" insectsingers.com]; Nonetheless, we're usually happy to oblige requests for educational purposes and limited use in other projects.

 


 

Credits and Acknowledgments


Website constructed by David C. Marshall and Kathy Hill, researchers at the University of Connecticut in the lab of Chris Simon.  This research has benefited from substantial synergistic support under NSF grants DEB 04-22386, DEB 05-29679, and DEB 07-20664 to Chris Simon and from discussions with many cicada enthusiasts and collaborators.

Back to InsectSingers.com

Site last updated 20 April 2022

MacHighway - Mac Powered Web Hosting For Mac Users, by Mac Users since 1997