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What's That Bug? does not endorse extermination

Dogday Harvestfly

Posted by bugman August 27th, 2009 at 7:34 am

Categories

Cicadas

Looks like giant fly
August 27, 2009
Keep seeing these all over my neighborhood.
Curiously, Sarah
Lansdowne, PA

Annual Cicada

Annual Cicada

Hi Sarah,
We have gotten multiple requests recently to have these giant flies identified.  This is actually an Annual Cicada, most likely Tibicen canicularis, but they are frequently called Dogday Harvestflies.  According to BugGuide:  “Explanation of Names  DOG-DAY: a reference to the hot “dog days” of late summer when this species is heard singing; at this time in the northern hemisphere the Dog Star (Sirius) becomes visible above the horizon in the Big Dog constellation (Canis Major)  CANICULARIS: from the Latin “canicula” (a little dog, the Dog Star, Sirius)  HARVESTFLY: another reference to the late season song of this species, heard during harvest time.”

Related Posts

  1. Dogday Harvestfly (September 12, 2006)
  2. Dogday Harvestflies Mating (December 4, 2005)
  3. Cicada Killer kills Dogday Harvestfly (September 19, 2006)
  4. Cicada Killer kills Dogday Harvestfly in Indiana (August 4, 2006)
  5. Dogday Harvestfly (August 21, 2009)

Comments 1

  1. Aariq wrote:

    I like these guys because of the clear copyright infringement they have on their throax. It looks just like the McDonalds golden arches!

    Posted 27 Aug 2009 at 9:16 am

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