Species · GBIF taxon 8529239
Northern Dog-day Cicada
Neotibicen canicularisAlso known as Dog-day Harvestfly, Heatbug, Annual Cicada
These robust, green-and-black insects emerge during the hottest weeks of mid-to-late summer, filling the canopy with their high-pitched, buzzing songs. Males produce this characteristic droning sound using specialized abdominal organs called tymbals to attract mates high in the treetops. After mating, females deposit eggs in twigs, and the hatched nymphs burrow underground to spend several years feeding on root sap before emerging to transform into winged adults.
VocalArborealSummer
- diet
- Tree sap and xylem fluid
- family
- Cicadidae
- threats
- Habitat loss, pesticide use, and urban development
- life Span
- 2 to 5 years (mostly spent underground as nymphs)
LC
Safe to observe at a normal distance.
- Listen for the Song: Locate males by following their loud, rising and falling buzz on hot afternoons.
- Find Shells: Search the trunks of mature trees for the hollow, golden-brown sheds left behind by emerging nymphs.
- Gentle Handling: If one lands on you, let it rest; they cannot bite or sting, though their feet feel scratchy.