Putnam's Cicada vs Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Putnam's Cicada Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle
Scientific Name Platypedia putnami Damaster blaptoides
Order Hemiptera Coleoptera
Family Cicadidae Carabidae
Size 18-25 mm 30-55 mm
Habitat Woodlands Woodlands
Diet Sap Feeders Predators
Regions North America Japan (all main islands)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

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.

Japanese Damaster Ground Beetle

A remarkably elongated Japanese ground beetle with an extremely narrow body and extended neck region. It has evolved this shape specifically to feed on snails by reaching deep into their shells.

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Did You Know?

It has the most elongated body of any Carabus relative, evolved specifically so it can insert its head and thorax deep inside the spiral of a snail shell to reach the living snail.