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Razor Grinder - Henicopsaltria eydouxii
Family Cicadidae
This page contains pictures and information about Razor Grinder Cicadas that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.
- Male, body length 40mm
- We found a lot of them in Mt Cotton during mid summer 2005. They rested at the lower part of the tall trunk, about 1.5 meters to 3 meters from ground. They like to rest on the vary large gum tree trunk. When disturbed, they made some alert sound while flying away to another tree trunk.
- Large number of them were found singing on the same tree trunk. They produced very loud sound resemble metal grinding. The sound pitch rises a few second follows by a quick drop then repeated. Those loud songs were quite painful to ear when standing under the trees.
- The cicadas are dark brown to reddish brown in colour. There are dark zigzag patterns on front wings veins. The veins near wing edges are also dark in colour. The bottom side of abdomen is orange and dark brown in colours. Males and females look similar.
- They like to rest on very large tree trunks, especially smooth bark tree trunks.
- We found one on the floor which is slow moving. When disturbed, it turned around and played dead.
- We also found a lot of them in the Eucalypt forest need Summit Street around Tingalpa Reservoir on mid summer Jan 2009. A number of them can be found singing on large gum tree trunks.
- Some infromation suggested that the Razor Grinder Henicopsaltria eydouxii in Tamborine Mountain appears in vast numbers at intervals of seven years. We did not found it is periodical unless this is happen in a small local area. We need more observations to confirm this.
- We also found them in Carbrook Wetland on mid summer Jan 2010.
- Above photos were taken in Ford Road Reserved Area on Feb 2011.
- From reference information, the nymphs feed on eucalypt roots.
- Reference:
- 1. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum, Brisbane, 1997, p80.
- 2. Species Henicopsaltria eydouxii (Guérin-Méneville, 1838) - Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study.
- 3. A NEW SPECIES OF HENICOPSALTRIA STÅL (HOMOPTERA CICADIDAE) FROM NORTH QUEENSLAND - M. S. Moulds Australian Museum, Sydney, N.S.W. 2000.
- 4. Cicadas – our Summer Singers - Geoff Monteith, Queensland Museum, leaflet 0036, September 2000.
- 5. Cicada choirs - NewScientis - 14 August 1999 by H. Syd Curtis, Hawthorne, Queensland.
- 6. Australian Cicadas - Moulds MS (1990). New South Wales University Press, NSW. Australia.
