Lyric Cicada vs Gum Leaf Skeletoniser

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Lyric Cicada Gum Leaf Skeletoniser
Scientific Name Neotibicen lyricen Uraba lugens
Order Hemiptera Lepidoptera
Family Cicadidae Nolidae
Size 30-38 mm 25-35 mm wingspan
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Herbivores
Regions Eastern and Southeastern United States Australia, Oceania
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Lyric Cicada

A medium-large cicada with a lyre-shaped marking on the dorsal thorax that gives it its name. Its call is a continuous, high-pitched whine heard from mid-summer into early fall.

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Did You Know?

The name 'lyricen' refers to the lyre-shaped pattern on its mesonotum, visible when viewed from above.

Gum Leaf Skeletoniser

A small moth whose caterpillars are known for retaining their shed head capsules stacked on top of each other, forming a tall 'hat'. The larvae feed gregariously on eucalyptus leaves, skeletonising them.

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Did You Know?

Its caterpillar is nicknamed the 'mad hatterpillar' because it wears a tower of old head capsules like a top hat.