Cicada | Masked Devil (Cyclochila australasiae) ◦
The cicada Masked Devil (Cyclochila australasiae) is the red-orange form of the Cyclochila australasiae.
The species Cyclochila australasiae was once commonly known as the Great Green Cicada. There were additional variations and colour forms that included the Yellow Monday — a common yellow morph; Chocolate Soldier — a rare dark tan form; Blue Moon — a rare turquoise form; and of course the Masked Devil — for its red-orange form.
Ther are found throughout the coastal regions of south-eastern Australia. These images were taken in Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
Their life cycle appears to be around six to seven years, from egg, nymph to adult cicada. Most of its life is spent as a nymph underground living off the sap from plant roots before emerging above ground to morph into the adult form that is familiar to most of us. The adults live for about six weeks, flying around, mating and breeding over the summer.
- Scientific classification
- Kingdom: Animalia
- Phylum: Arthropoda
- Class: Insecta
- Order: Hemiptera
- Family: Cicadidae
- Genus: Cyclochila
- Species: C. australasiae
- Binomial name: Cyclochila australasiae
Footnote & References
- Cyclochila australasiae, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyclochila_australasiae (last visited Jan. 2, 2021)