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Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug: Coleotichus costatus

Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug sitting on Red-Eyed Wattle. Note the seeds and the seed pods. Nymphs of Green Shield Backed Bug wit...

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Tick Tock Cicada: Physeema quadricincta



Class: Insecta 
Order: Hemiptera 
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha 
Infraorder: Cicadomorpha 
Superfamily: Cicadoidea
Physeema quadricincta
(previously known as Cicadetta quadricincta)

Tick Tock Cicada is the most common cicada seen (mostly heard) around Bunbury during early summer. These cicadas have a classic calling song which is soft clicking, more clip-clop than tick-tock. They are mostly found in low lying grasses of the heath. They are as big as a bee in size, much smaller than the other common Red Bandit Cicada. With some perseverance they are easy to spot if the call is followed. They tend to have a weak flight when disturbed. They more or less jump to the nearest grass straw. They don't look particularly remarkable at the first sight but when the sunlight hits, they dazzle. The black body has olive green to yellow pattern on it, that shimmers with a golden shine. The abdomen has paler rings. The wings are clear with a brown costa. The underside is pale green. This species is endemic to the South West of Western Australia. 


References: http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2012/f/zt03287p262.pdf

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