Dog-day Cicadas – Tibicen spp.

Dog-day cicadas (Tibicen spp.)

Latin Name: Tibicen spp

Common Name: Dog-day Cicadas

Appearance: 

• Adults come in various sizes and colors, depending on the species.
• They all have enormous eyes and semi-transparent wings that are draped over their massive bodies like a roof.
• The bigger species have brown or green, black and white body patterns and are about 1-5/8 inch long and 1/2-inch broad.
• Nymphs have wingless adults’ bodies, are brown, and have well-developed front legs for digging in the dirt.

Territory:

Annual cicadas found in the eastern U.S

Damages caused by Dog-day Cicadas:

Male cicadas sing to attract females by vibrating two specific membranes on the sides of the abdomen, which produce an occasional whine. Females aren’t known for their singing abilities. Adult cicadas don’t eat leaves but drink the fluids off delicate twigs, whereas Nymphs eat tree sap.

Description about Leaf chewers:

Insect chewing damage to plants can take numerous forms. Foliage or flowers may vanish when certain insects eat them. Occasionally, the plant will appear ragged and, upon closer inspection, will reveal bitten edges or cores. Plants can be cut at the root and topple over, or twigs can be girdled and die as a result. Mining or boring is the process of causing harm to a plant through chewing. Only the upper or lower surfaces are sometimes destroyed, producing a brown, burned look or skeletonization (openings between the veins).

Life History and Habits: 

This species is linked to pines, especially the southern “long-leaf” variety. These Dog-Day Cicadas (Tibicen spp.) have 2–3 year life cycles, and many generations overlap. Thus they don’t have the same periodicity as the Magicicada cicadas. Eggs are placed in dead twigs, wood, or bark (sometimes in live stems and twigs) and hatch into nymphs that burrow into the earth. For several years, nymphs feed on the sap in roots (prefer Pines). Nymphs in their final instar emerge and grow into winged adults.