Putnam's Cicada vs Giant Bornean Lanternfly

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Putnam's Cicada Giant Bornean Lanternfly
Scientific Name Platypedia putnami Pyrops whiteheadi
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Fulgoridae
Size 18-25 mm 40-50 mm
Habitat Woodlands Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions North America Asia
Conservation Least Concern Data Deficient

Putnam's Cicada

A small, dark cicada found in arid pinyon-juniper woodlands of the western US. It produces quiet clicks rather than the loud buzzing of typical cicadas.

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Did You Know?

Instead of singing, males attract females by tapping their wings together to produce soft clicking sounds.

Giant Bornean Lanternfly

A spectacular lanternfly from Borneo with an elongated horn-like head process and vivid coloring. The function of the snout remains debated — possibly mimicry or balance.

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Did You Know?

Despite being called lanternflies, these insects do not actually produce light — the myth dates to the 1600s when scientist Maria Sibylla Merian claimed they glowed.