Greengrocer Cicada
Yellow Monday; Chocolate Soldier; Blue Moon
Click to enlarge image
© Bruce Hulbert
Fast Facts
-
Classification
- Genus
- Cyclochila
- Species
- australasiae
- Subfamily
- Cicadinae
- Family
- Cicadidae
- Super Family
- Cicadoidea
- Suborder
- Auchenorryncha
- Infraorder
- Cicadomorpha
- Order
- Hemiptera
- Class
- Insecta
- Subphylum
- Uniramia
- Phylum
- Arthopoda
- Kingdom
- Animalia
-
- Size Range
- Forewing length 50-58mm
Blue Moon Colour morph
Image: Carl Bento© Australian Museum
Introduction
The Greengrocer cicada is probably the most commonly encountered in the Sydney area.
Identification
The two common names of Greengrocer and Yellow Monday refer to different colour forms of the same species. The origin of the names is unclear but they are known to have been in use as early as 1896. Other names for different colour forms include Chocolate Soldier (dark tan form) and Blue Moon (turquoise form).
Habitat
Greengrocers live in urban areas, forests and woodlands.
Distribution
The Greengrocer is found from southern Queensland to Victoria and South Australia.
Feeding and diet
Greengrocers are common on a range of trees, the adults spend much of the daytime sucking sap from branches.
Communication
Dusk is the usual time to hear the male Greengrocers calling for females, but they also sing in the morning on warm days. The harsh song may be continuous or delivered in short bursts, and can be extremely loud and penetrating.
Life history cycle
Adult Greengrocer cicadas live for around six weeks. Females deposit eggs into dead or dying branches of a food plant. The eggs hatch after about four months into spidery-looking, long-legged nymphs that burrow into the soil. Here they suck sap out of plant roots and grow for up to seven years, emerging as adults between September and November on warm nights often following rain.
