African Cicada vs Dusty Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute African Cicada Dusty Cicada
Scientific Name Platypleura hirtipennis Yanga pulverea
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Cicadidae
Size 35-50 mm body length 35-50 mm
Habitat Grasslands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia) Madagascar
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

African Cicada

A large cicada with brownish wings and a stout body. Males produce a deafening chorus using specialized tymbal organs on the abdomen during the hot hours of the day.

💡

Did You Know?

The sound of a cicada chorus can reach over 100 decibels, making them among the loudest insects in the world.

Dusty Cicada

A medium to large cicada with a dusty gray-brown body and translucent wings bearing dark venation. It is one of the more commonly encountered cicadas in Madagascar.

💡

Did You Know?

Its species name 'pulverea' means dusty, referring to the fine powdery coating on its body that helps regulate temperature.