Cascade Cicada vs Water Measurer

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Cascade Cicada Water Measurer
Scientific Name Platypedia areolata Hydrometra australis
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Hydrometridae
Size 18-24 mm 8-11 mm
Habitat Forests Ponds & Lakes
Diet Sap Feeders Omnivores
Regions North America Americas, from southern United States to South America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Cascade Cicada

A small western North American cicada that produces sound by wing-flicking rather than typical tymbals. It is found in mountainous conifer forests.

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Did You Know?

Instead of the typical buzzing song, it communicates by rapidly clicking its wings against branches.

Water Measurer

A very slender, elongate semi-aquatic bug that walks slowly on water surfaces in the Americas. Its head is exceptionally long and narrow with a small rostrum at the tip. It moves with slow, deliberate steps along pond margins.

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Did You Know?

It is so lightweight that it can walk on the water surface without breaking the surface tension, leaving no visible dimples where its feet contact the water.