Moved from Cicadettana floridensis.

Moved from Cicadetta floridensis.

Moved from Cicadetta kansa.

There are 2 "species" in Florida, Cicadetta calliope and C. floridensis. Some C. calliope may be green and strongly resemble C. floridensis making id very difficult.

Melampsalta floridensis (=C. floridensis)
This species may be variable in color in at least parts of its range: most common form is lime green, less common color morphs include tan, beige and/or pinkish. **Possibly these color morphs are C. calliope found in areas of overlap and hence confused with C. floridensis.**

Some may consider M. floridensis a subspecies of Melampsalta (Cicadetta) calliope! However, more recent studies have shown that it is distinct in both call and habitat.

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There are several species in the Genus Cicadetta (archaic syn. Melampsalta). Several of these taxa have been confused with and/or once considered to be populations of C. calliope.

Melampsalta (Cicadetta), "Grass Cicadas"

1) Melampsalta calliope (Walker 1850a)
Atlantic Coast, Southeast, Lower Mississippi River Valley northward into the southern parts of the Mid-West
(New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana - west into the eastern Plains & northward into the Upper Miss. Riv. & lower Mid-West incl. Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, & Iowa)

2) Melampsalta camerona Davis 1920a
Southeastern Texas/South Texas
(*south into ne. Mexico)

3) Melampsalta floridensis Davis 1920a
Peninsular Florida
(*Possibly across parts of the FL panhandle? northward into s. Georgia? & s. Alabama?..???)

4) Melampsalta kansa Davis 1919b
Most states of the "Great Plains"
n. Texas?, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota
(*Possibly east into the Upper Mississippi R. Valley & western parts of the Mid-West, incl. Illinois, Iowa, & w. parts of Missouri...?)

5) Melampsalta texana Davis 1936a
Southern Plains - Texas grassland and wooded scrub habitats
(*Eastern & northern parts of range t.b.d. ?? - east into w. Louisiana ??)

Moved from Cicadetta.

Nice shot!