tibicen walkeri - Tibicen resh

Moved

… John R. Maxwell, 1 April, 2009 - 9:46pm

Tibicen resh (?)

Tibicen resh (?)
Based on images alone, these two species can appear to have overlap in traits and difficult to tease apart - esp. with words.

OBSERVATION: There is a strong black arch above the wing joint that intrudes into the lateral red patch on the mesonotum (of this insect and other T. resh I have studied). Compare this feature to other T. resh here on bugguide(common trait in T. resh). In contrast, when black eclipses the fulvous/red in T. pronotalis, it is not as clean and "arch-like", but more linear above the wing hinge... and seems to more evenly intrude around the margins of the mesonotal red patch reducing the red to an "interior island of color".

Please compare to Tibicen resh!
http://bugguide.net/node/view/138784/bgimage

… Bill Reynolds, 20 March, 2009 - 4:30pm

Tibicen walkeri

This is the largest and bulkiest cicada in North America. It was formerly called "Tibicen marginalis", but this name is preoccupied by an old-world species.

The only other cicada that is slightly smaller in our fauna is T. auletes, which is more evenly colored, without the "golden M" markings on the back. The green pronotum contrasting with reddish mesonotal marks is also characteristic of one color variety of this species.

… Andy Hamilton, 6 February, 2006 - 9:03am

Thank you Andy, for correctin

Thank you Andy, for correcting my misidentification. In the future, I suppose I should simply post the picture on the 'ID Request' page.

… Toast Vinson, 11 February, 2006 - 11:01pm

Question for Andy

Forgive the digression, but in extreme southern Missouri (south of Springfield), I collected a very large cicada that was basically black with silvery "frosting." Would that be auletes? In Cincinnati I collected a large, ornate Tibicen, which I seemed to find only in riparian trees. Any idea what that one might be? Is habitat a good clue for identification?

… Eric R. Eaton, 6 February, 2006 - 2:31pm

"very large cicada"

That would depend on HOW large the cicada was. The largest southern cicada, T. resonans, is 18-19 mm across the eyes, whereas T. auletes is "only" 14-16 mm across the eyes (as is T. walkeri).

Incidentally, I just found out from the old literature that the name T. pronotalis antedates that of T. walkeri, so that is the correct name.

… Andy Hamilton, 9 February, 2006 - 3:25pm

Thank you.

"Eye" see:-) Thanks for the clues to IDs. I'd love to have a key to these guys. I may have more species in my collection than I think I do!

… Eric R. Eaton, 13 February, 2006 - 2:40pm