How to Tell Cicadas: A Comprehensive Guide from Form to Habits
Cicadas are common insects in summer, and their unique chirping and life cycle often arouse people's curiosity. But there are so many types of cicadas, how to accurately identify them? This article will provide you with a structured identification method from the perspectives of morphological characteristics, sound characteristics, distribution area, etc.
1. Basic classification of cicadas
There are more than 3,000 known species of cicadas in the world, and about 150 species are common in China. Mainly divided into the following categories:
| Classification basis | Feature description | representative species |
|---|---|---|
| body size | Large (body length>4cm), medium (2-4cm), small (<2cm) | Grasshopper (large), cricket (small) |
| life cycle | 1-year cicada, periodic cicada (13/17 years) | Black grasshopper (1 year), Magicicada (17 years) |
| Tweet type | Continuous type, intermittent type, pulse type | Chirping cicada (continuous), chilling cicada (pulse) |
2. Key distinguishing features
Common cicada species can be accurately identified through the following combination of characteristics:
| Characteristic parts | Observation points | Example comparison |
|---|---|---|
| head | Compound eye distance and single eye arrangement | Grasshopper's single eyes are arranged in a triangle |
| pronotum | Raised shape and markings | Singing cicadas have "W" shaped patterns |
| wings | Vein direction and transparency | There are smoky brown spots on the forewings of crickets |
| Abdomen | Intersegmental color, articulator structure | Male abdominal segments have articulators |
3. Regional and seasonal distribution
The distribution of common cicada species in China has obvious regional characteristics:
| area | dominant species | Appearance time |
|---|---|---|
| North China | black grasshopper cicada, chirping cicada | June-August |
| Jiangnan area | crickets, grass cicadas | May-September |
| southwest region | Yunnan cicada, pine cicada | April-October |
4. Sound identification skills
The frequency and rhythm of the calls of different cicada species vary significantly:
| Cicada species | frequency range | Rhythm characteristics |
|---|---|---|
| grasshopper | 4-6kHz | Continuous high pitch "Zhi——" |
| cricket | 3-5kHz | A short "squeak" sound |
| Chilling | 2-4kHz | crescendo and decrescendo |
5. Special category identification
Several species of cicadas with distinctive characteristics:
| Name | unique characteristics | Distribution area |
|---|---|---|
| red-eyed cicada | bright red compound eyes | tropical areas |
| Translucent cicada | completely transparent wings | Southeast Asia |
| periodic cicada | 17 years of underground life | Eastern North America |
6. Observation tools and precautions
1. It is recommended to use a 10x magnifying glass to observe detailed features
2. Keep no interfering noise within 3 meters when recording
3. Complete adult worms should be selected for specimen collection.
4. Pay attention to protecting the habitat of cicadas
By systematically observing these characteristics, you can accurately identify common cicada species. Next time you hear cicadas chirping, try to identify their species. This will not only increase the fun of nature observation, but also help us better understand these amazing insects.
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