Clapping Cicada vs Horned Aphid

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Clapping Cicada Horned Aphid
Scientific Name Amphipsalta cingulata Tuberaphis styraci
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Hormaphididae
Size 22-30 mm 1-2.5 mm
Habitat Forests Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Oceania (New Zealand) Japan, East Asia
Conservation Least Concern Not Evaluated

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.

Horned Aphid

A social aphid from East Asia that forms colonies defended by sterile soldier nymphs with horned heads. They live on styrax trees and produce a single soldier caste.

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Did You Know?

Soldiers stab intruders with their sharp horns and inject a toxic secretion, dying in the process like a honeybee's suicide sting.