Clapping Cicada vs Giant Eastern Crane Fly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clapping Cicada Giant Eastern Crane Fly
Scientific Name Amphipsalta cingulata Pedicia albivitta
Order Hemiptera Diptera
Family Cicadidae Pediciidae
Size 22-30 mm 20-30 mm body length
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Predators
Regions Oceania (New Zealand) Eastern North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Clapping Cicada

An endemic New Zealand cicada named for the sharp clapping sound it produces, distinct from the continuous drone of the chorus cicada. It is found in scrubland and forest edges. Males produce a rapid series of clicks that accelerate into a continuous buzz.

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Did You Know?

The clapping cicada can produce clicks at a rate of over 300 per second, creating what sounds like a rapid drumroll.

Giant Eastern Crane Fly

A large crane fly with long delicate legs and white-banded wing markings found near forest streams. Despite its mosquito-like appearance, it is completely harmless.

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Did You Know?

Its aquatic larvae are voracious predators that hunt other insect larvae in cold forest streams.