Torpedo Bug vs Desert Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Torpedo Bug Desert Cicada
Scientific Name Siphanta hebes Diceroprocta semicincta
Order Hemiptera Hemiptera
Family Flatidae Cicadidae
Size 7-10 mm 28-35 mm
Habitat Orchards Deserts & Drylands
Diet Sap Feeders Sap Feeders
Regions Australia, Pacific Islands, Hawaii (invasive) North America
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Torpedo Bug

A bright green flatid planthopper with an elongated torpedo-shaped body profile when wings are folded. It is native to Australia and has been introduced to various Pacific islands.

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Did You Know?

In Hawaii, where it was accidentally introduced, it became a minor pest of macadamia nut trees and ornamental plants but is now largely controlled by natural enemies.

Desert Cicada

A heat-loving cicada found throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. Its shrill call is one of the most characteristic sounds of the desert summer.

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Did You Know?

It sweats through tiny pores to cool itself, one of the few insects known to use evaporative cooling.