Large Brown Cicada vs Periodical Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Large Brown Cicada Periodical Cicada
Scientific Name Graptopsaltria nigrofuscata Magicicada septendecim
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Cicadidae
Size 35-40 mm 25-33 mm
Habitat Forests Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Root Feeders
Regions Japan, Eastern China, Korea North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Large Brown Cicada

A common Japanese cicada known as 'aburazemi' with opaque brownish wings, unusual among cicadas. It produces an oil-sizzling sound that fills urban and forested areas in summer.

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Did You Know?

Its Japanese name 'aburazemi' means 'oil cicada' because its call sounds like oil sizzling in a frying pan.

Periodical Cicada

Emerges in massive synchronized broods every 17 years. Nymphs live underground feeding on tree root sap. Males produce the loudest sounds of any insect at up to 100 dB.

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Did You Know?

Periodical cicadas spend exactly 17 years underground (a prime number), and scientists believe this evolved to prevent predators from synchronizing their own cycles.