Black Tree-ticker - Birrima varians

Family Cicadidae

This page contains pictures and information about Black Tree-ticker Cicadas that we found in the Brisbane area, Queensland, Australia.

Male, body length 30mm

 

This cicada is common in Brisbane bushlands and eucalypts forests. They are active flyers. Flight is fast and erratic, often changing direction. They may spend more time in flying than resting during the day. The cicada is medium size, brown in colour. Its wings are clear with brown veins.

 

 

Most other cicadas sing when rest. This cicada sings during flight. Their song is a repeated series of fast "quack quack ........." phrases.  

 

  

 

Females usually rest on smooth bark gum trees. 

 

Pictures were taken in Wishart Bushland on Oct 2007. 

 

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Reference:

1. Genus Birrima (Goding and Froggatt, 1904) (Tree-tickers) - The cicadas of central eastern Australia, L. W. Popple, 2006.

2. Australian Cicadas - M.S. Moulds, New South Wales University Press, 1990, p172. 

3. Wildlife of Greater Brisbane - Queensland Museum: Brisbane (1997), p86.

4. Species Birrima varians (Germar, 1834) - Australian Faunal Directory, Australian Biological Resources Study. 

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Last updated: September 01, 2009.