Cyclochila australasiae facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Cyclochila australasiae |
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Cyclochila
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C. australasiae
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| Cyclochila australasiae (Donovan, 1805)
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Tettigonia australasiae Donovan |
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The Cyclochila australasiae, often called the green grocer, is a type of cicada. It's one of Australia's most famous insects. You can find it along the coast in southeastern Australia. This amazing insect is also known as one of the loudest in the world!
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What is a Green Grocer Cicada?
The Green Grocer cicada was once known as the Great Green Cicada. People have given different names to its various colors. For example:
- The common yellow one is called Yellow Monday.
- A rare dark brown one is known as Chocolate Soldier.
- A rare turquoise one is called Blue Moon.
- The red-orange one is named Masked Devil.
These names for the green and yellow forms have been around since at least 1896. An expert named Walter Wilson Froggatt wrote in 1907 that the green one was called "green Monday."
Who Discovered This Cicada?
The first person to describe this species was Edward Donovan in 1805. He called it Tettigonia australasiae. Later, in 1830, Ernst Friedrich Germar named it Cicada olivacea.
How to Identify a Green Grocer Cicada
Green Grocer cicadas are about 4 cm (1.6 in) long. Their wings can spread out to 11–13 cm (4–5 in). They come in many colors, but most are green or brownish-yellow. They also have bright red eyes!
What is a Cicada Exoskeleton?
During summer, you might see their old, empty skins on tree trunks. These are called exuvia. They are the discarded exoskeletons of the young cicada, called a nymph.
The Loud Sound of the Cicada
Male Green Grocer cicadas make very loud calls during summer. Their sound is harsh and high-pitched. It can reach up to 120 decibels, which is super loud! They make this sound by quickly bending special ribs on their body. An air sac inside them helps make the sound even louder. The sound is usually heard in the afternoon and evening on warm days.
Where Green Grocer Cicadas Live
You can find Cyclochila australasiae in many places across southeastern Australia. They live from Queensland, through eastern New South Wales and Victoria, all the way to South Australia. They are very common along the Great Dividing Range. You can also find them in the Warrumbungles.
Common Sightings
These cicadas are often seen and heard in big cities like Sydney and Melbourne. They also live in the Blue Mountains and Gippsland. In Brisbane, they are only found in higher areas, above 300 m (1000 ft). They often live near trees like the white stringybark (Eucalyptus globoidea).
The Life Cycle of a Cicada
The full life cycle of a Green Grocer cicada takes about six to seven years. Most of this time is spent as a nymph. The nymph lives underground for seven years. It drinks sap from plant roots. After this long time, it comes out of the ground as an adult cicada. Adult cicadas live for about six weeks. During this short time, they fly around, find a mate, and lay eggs.
Cicadas in Popular Culture
Kids often like to collect live cicadas. They climb trees to find them. You can keep them as temporary pets in shoeboxes. However, it's hard to keep them for more than a day or two. This is because they need fresh sap from plants to eat.
The Green Grocer cicada is featured in a popular Australian children's book. It's called "Cecil Singer Cicada" by Michelle Cox, released in 2020. Another children's book, "Cicada" (2018) by Shaun Tan, also talks about the cicada's life cycle. The Yellow Monday cicada is even mentioned in a long poem called "The River in the Sky" (2018) by Clive James.
