Insect
Mountain Cicada
Okanagana bellaThe Mountain Cicada is a stout western North American cicada with clear-veined wings held rooflike over a dark body. Males produce a sustained buzzing call from shrubs and trees, while the root-feeding nymphs spend years hidden underground.
Foothill CicadaBuzzing MaleRoot-feeding Nymph
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & preyNymphs drink xylem fluid from roots, while adults take dilute sap from woody twigs
Predators
- Insect-eating birds
- Cicada killer wasps
- Spiders
ThreatsSoil compaction, development, root-zone disturbance, pesticides, severe fire, and prolonged drought
HabitatsDry mountain slopes, foothill shrubland, oak and pine woodland, open forest, and sunny canyon vegetation
Life spanSeveral years are spent underground as a nymph, followed by only weeks as a winged adult
Classification
- FamilyCicadidae
- SpeciesOkanagana bella
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Do not pull calling adults from branches or dig for nymphs around plant roots.
Responsible observation
- Sound: Trace the steady daytime buzz to a perched male without shaking vegetation.
- Wings: Look for transparent strongly veined wings folded above a robust body.
- Evidence: Leave shed nymph skins attached for other observers and small scavengers.
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