Ocala, Marion Co., FL
July 2009

According to the literature (historical accounts based on observations of the time) and authorities in the field of cicada research, Tibicen latifasciatus was NOT known to occur in (confirmed/recorded from) Florida until recently!

Due to similarities in appearance (particularly with regards to preservation techniques and specimen condition), taxonomic ambiguities, and song, specimens originating from central Florida were long thought to belong to the taxon Tibicen pruinosus. I have not yet seen "Tibicen pruinosus" - as known elsewhere in the US - much east of the FL Panhandle adj. to Alabama (Pensacola area, Escambia County, FL). In contrast, Tibicen latifasciatus (syn. T. pruinosus latifasciatus), a.k.a. the "Yodelling Cedar Sucker", is locally abundant in central Florida. Perhaps the greatest source of confusion results from the calls, as both latifasciatus and pruinosus sound virtually identical.