Superb Green Cicada vs Clapping Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Superb Green Cicada Clapping Cicada
Scientific Name Neotibicen superbus Amphipsalta cingulata
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Cicadidae Cicadidae
Size 33-40 mm 22-30 mm
Habitat Deserts & Drylands Forests
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Southwestern United States from Texas to Arizona Oceania (New Zealand)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Superb Green Cicada

A large and strikingly green cicada of the American Southwest with a powerful buzzing song. It is one of the most robust cicada species in North America.

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Did You Know?

Its call is so loud it can reach over 100 decibels, making it one of the noisiest insects in North America.

Clapping Cicada

An endemic New Zealand cicada named for the sharp clapping sound it produces, distinct from the continuous drone of the chorus cicada. It is found in scrubland and forest edges. Males produce a rapid series of clicks that accelerate into a continuous buzz.

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Did You Know?

The clapping cicada can produce clicks at a rate of over 300 per second, creating what sounds like a rapid drumroll.