cicada has a headlight?
November 6, 2009
In my closeup photo of a cicada’s (”a”) head, I noticed a bright red spot between his eyes, above his ‘nose’, which sure looked like a ruby-colored glass lens! I found the same thing on a second cicada (”b”), so it is not some weird anomaly. Also, it looks like there may be a cluster of the spots across his ‘forehead’, sorta like on a spider, but the other spots are aimed ‘up’, so I didn’t notice them at first. Maybe they’re additional eyes, maybe some other sort of sensors, but for sure, they do look strange!
seekertom
West Palm Beach, Fl
cicada with embedded camerain head???
How can I upload a pic of this guy to you? I have a decent frontal headshot which shows what looks like a red camera lens embedded into his skull. Couldn’t be a secret govt robot spy? could it?
Cicada Head
Dear seekertom,
We loved your first impression, and we have taken the liberty of posting both of your letters to us. Cicadas like most insects have three primitive eyes or ocelli as well as the two large compound eyes. The ocelli are sensitive to light and in conjunction with the compound eyes, they provide the insect with two distinct types of vision.
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Posted 07 November 2009
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Bug that looks like a huge bee.
September 11, 2009
I’ve seem these creatures in Zadar, Croatia. The bug is yellow and transparent and looks like a bee on steroids. It’s disgusting.
I’ve never seen them move. They stick to a tent or tree and just stay there. Ugly creatures. Oh yeah, and they’re crunchy 
2djman
Zadar, Croatia
Cicada Exuviae
Dear 2djman,
This is the cast off exoskeleton or exuviae of a Cicada. We get numerous requests for the identification of Cicada Exoskeletons, but your backlit photograph is quite possibly the most beautiful image we have seen. The immature Cicada lives underground, and when it approaches maturity, it digs to the surface, climbs up a tree trunk or other vertical feature, and splits its skin. We also have numerous images on our website of the metamorphosis of a Cicada. The winged adult then flies off, leaving the empty Exuviae behind.
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Posted 12 September 2009
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What is it?
August 28, 2009
Please help! I would like to identify this insect that I found on my windowsill in Thimpu, Bhutan. Your help MUCH appreciated. I fell in love with it. I should at least know what it is!
Entomophile
Thimpu, Bhutan
Cicada
Dear Entomophile,
Though we don’t know the exact species, we can tell you that your insect is a Cicada.
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Posted 29 August 2009
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Looks like giant fly
August 27, 2009
Keep seeing these all over my neighborhood.
Curiously, Sarah
Lansdowne, PA
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.”
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Posted 27 August 2009
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What’s this big bug?
August 20, 2009
Dear Bugman,
This morning I found this bug sitting in my driveway, it was most impressive so I decided to photograph it and it obliged. This is the largest bug I’ve ever seen in my area, and I’m sure I’ve never seen this type of bug before. I did some googling and I’m guessing it’s a type of cicada. I’d be pleased if you could give it a definite identification.
Many thanks! -Kendra
Northeastern Massachusetts
Dogday Harvestfly
Hi Kendra,
We are nearly certain that this is a Dogday Harvestfly, a species of Cicada, Tibicen canicularis, though BugGuide has six pages of Cicadas in the genus and it could easily be one of the others. Here is BugGuide’s explanation of the name: “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” We responded to three other readers today who found Cicadas and thought they were flies, so we figured the zeitgeist demanded that we post an image before going to bed.
Dogday Harvestfly
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Posted 21 August 2009
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Cicada killer!!!
August 19, 2009
Thought you guys would like these cool pictures of a cicada killer (I think) attacking a cicada!!! I heard a weird buzz and saw them fighting so I ran and got my camera…enjoy!!!
Brian M
Baltimore, MD
European Hornet stings Cicada
Hi Brian,
Wow. What a fantastic action photo of a female Cicada Killer stinging a Cicada to feed her brood.
Correction
August 29, 2009
Hi, Daniel:
“Cicada killer stinging cicada” is actually a European hornet, Vespa crabro. They are large, pretty fearless predators on a variety of other insects. They will also raid bee hives for the honey, crushing worker bees in their massive jaws along the way.
Eric
Yet another cicada killer
August 12, 2009
My technique for getting interesting photos is to NEVER leave the house without a camera slung around my neck. I don’t always get excellent results, but at least I do get a lot of shots.
This cicada killer was buzzing around the neighborhood and I was able to follow it to a garage with a ladder conveniently close by that let me follow it into the gutter….
Pat
southwest lower michigan
Cicada Killer with prey
Hi Pat,
Because the Cicada prey weighs so much more than the Cicada Killer predator, the Cicada Killer often cannot take off from the ground to fly back to her burrow, so she climbs to a high spot and glides in the direction of her burrow. We suspect that is the reason you captured this photo in the gutter. Your documentation of a Cicada Killer and her prey is quite a score. Thanks for sending it to our site. We would much rather post photos of living insects than dead ones.
Litte red bugs, on a cicada shell?
August 7, 2009
I found these little red bugs which look like ants with tiny antennas all over a cicada shell. I have no idea what they are!
Shannon
Oklahoma
Hemipteran Nymphs on Cicada Exoskeleton
Dear Shannon,
All we are able to determine from your photo is that these are immature Hemipterans, but why they are on the Cicada exoskeleton is the curious question. We believe the Hemipterans might be immature Milkweed Assassin Bugs, but your photo lacks the detail necessary to be certain. It is possible there were fluids left after the Cicada metamorphosis, and the Assassin Nymphs are feeding on the fluids.
Cicada Killer
August 5, 2009
Hello 
I recently found this interesting wasp looking bug hanging from my balcony holding a cicada. Normally, I would not have known what the heck was going on here (some kind of inter-species fling??) But just that morning, I had read an article in the local newsletter about these interesting bugs, and decided to take a few pics. The article was lettiong members of the community know to not kill them or try to exterminate them, that they are a “good bug” (as most are, but still we have to squish or swat them out of fear)
After perusing your site for the identification of a house centipede (a very scary million-legged beast that was crawling around with our son on the floor. Unfortunately, after reading about it, I would have tried to put it outside to battle our spider problem…) I thought about the pictures I had taken of the cool Cicada Killer in action. I thought that they would be a great addition to your site and some good education for paeple that may not know about them. Sadly, the Cicada Killer could not keep holding on to the balcony with one leg, and dropped his prey, so I got a pic of that too (quite a pretty cicada actually).
Enjoy and keep doin what youre doin, and thanks for my newfound interest in bugs
Cool Bug Lover
Washington, DC
Cicada Killer and Annual Cicada
Dear Cool Bug Lover,
Thanks for sending us your great food chain images of a Cicada Killer and an Annual Cicada. Female Cicada Killers are used to struggling with their large ungainly prey and we suspect she eventually arrived at her burrow with her catch. The Cicada Killer takes advantage of gravity by climbing trees and other tall structures and gliding toward the nest with the prey in tow. We are also gladdened to hear your local newsletter is promoting tolerance of Cicada Killers which terrify many of our readers.
Cicada Killer and Annual Cicada Prey
Carpenter Ants Devour Emerging Cicada
July 29, 2009
Dear Bug Man:
Thought you might be able to use one of these photos in your “food chain’ category. My son called me over to an old oak tree, to see a group of carpenter ants eating what he thought was a large caterpillar. When I got there, I could see it was an emerging cicada. I don’t know if the cicada died as a result of not being able to emerge fully from it’s nymphal skin, and the ants were just scavenging the carcass. Or, if the ants started attacking it shortly after it crawled up the tree. No idea what type of cicade this one is, but parts of it were a lovely turquoise green. This was the only cicada on the whole tree–no other shells or nymphs were around. Was this cicada’s biological clock working OK?
Chris O.
Wildwood Park, near Toledo, OH
Carpenter Ants devour emergent Cicada
Hi Chris,
Thanks so much for sending us your wonderful food chain documentation of Carpenter Ants devouring an Annual Cicada that was in the process of metamorphosis. We suspect the Carpenter Ants attacked the Cicada while it was helpless and unable to escape. The Cicada’s biological clock was right on time, as they emerge during the summer. This is an Annual Cicada, and unlike the Periodical Cicadas that emerge every 14 or 17 years, the Annual Cicadas emerge each year.
cicadas are my new best friend
July 24, 2009
i’ve never seen such a small cicada around here before, but i found this little neocicada hieroglyphica last night under the light by my garage, cornered by two toads who were trying to catch it. it crawled onto my hand and hung on tight for about an hour, any port in a storm i guess. it was a little less than an inch long, and crawled enthusiastically toward the clicking sound of my camera’s focus. i assume it thought my camera was hitting on it. cicadas have a one track mind.
rebekah
summerville, sc
Hieroglyphic Cicada
Dear Rebekah,
Thanks so much for sending us your wonderful images of a Hieroglyphic Cicada and for providing such an entertaining narrative. We are linking to the BugGuide information page on Neocicada hieroglyphica.
Hieroglyphic Cicada
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Posted 26 July 2009
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Insect found in front yard…
July 15, 2009
This approx. 1.75 in long, about as thick as my pinkie finger. Very slow to move, very strong legs (held onto a stick I transferred him on), and two large front claws. Six legs, no wings. Has a butt that looks like a honey bee! Heavy, solid bug. Covered in some type of protective coating of sap and dirt or something.
Intrigued Mommy
Northern California, residential, July 2009 Summer
Cicada Nymph
Dear Intrigued Mommy,
After spending several years underground, this Cicada Nymph has dug its way to the surface. It will molt and become a winged adult.
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Posted 15 July 2009
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