Scissor Grinder Cicada vs Mountain Seed Bug

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Scissor Grinder Cicada Mountain Seed Bug
Scientific Name Neotibicen pruinosus Nysius helveticus
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Lygaeidae
Size 33-40 mm 3-5 mm body length
Habitat Woodlands Grasslands
Diet Wood Feeders Seed Feeders
Regions North America Alps, Central European mountains
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Scissor Grinder Cicada

A large North American annual cicada with a buzzing call resembling a grinding wheel. Its body is coated in a whitish waxy pruinose layer.

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Did You Know?

Its common name comes from the call's resemblance to the sound of a knife sharpener at work.

Mountain Seed Bug

A small seed bug found in alpine and subalpine grasslands across Europe. It feeds on seeds and sap of various mountain plants.

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Did You Know?

Large swarms sometimes form on mountain summits during warm summer days.