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Who Pinched My Bottom ?


Who Pinched My Bottom ?
Photo Information
Copyright: Steve Reekie (LordPotty) Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1449 W: 146 N: 3764] (12035)
Genre: Animals
Medium: Color
Date Taken: 2009-02-05
Categories: Insects
Camera: Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ8
Exposure: f/2.8, 1/80 seconds
More Photo Info: [view]
Photo Version: Original Version
Date Submitted: 2009-02-06 4:08
Viewed: 632
Points: 16
[Note Guidelines] Photographer's Note
Now that I have your attention....
What we have here is New Zealands largest Cicada, Amphipsalta zealandica, the Chorus Cicada, known in Maori as Kihikihi Wawa.
Above it,is the empty shell of the pupal stage.
These Cicada often spend several years underground as grubs,and eventually tunnel their way up,on a warm summers night,to hang onto the side of a tree,where they emerge from their shell and dry out their wings.
At this time of year,the chirping of Cicada can be a deafening shrill noise that dominates the environment.
(Luckily,they are only around for a few weeks of the summer)
The chorus cicada begins calling after Christmas,this event noted by Maori as marking the eighth month of the traditional calendar.
The males call is shrill,ending in two or three loud claps.The female answers with wing clicks.
It is possible to call cicadas to you by clicking your fingers.
The females force their eggs into herringbone patterned slits that they cut into branches.As the branch grows,these cuts can grow into huge unsightly scars. There are over 2,500 species of cicada worldwide.
There are 40 species in New Zealand,none of which are found anywhere else.

Hope you like this shot of the different stages of the Cicada life cycle captured together.
Cheers,and thanks for looking.
Steve
ramthakur, haraprasan, red45, bobcat08, Argus has marked this note useful
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ThreadThread Starter Messages Updated
To vanderschelden: Cicada soundsLordPotty 1 02-06 12:26
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Critiques [Translate]

You did catch my attention through your caption, Steve :).
It is a very big Cicada that has just emerged, I believe, and is pinching the bottom of the shell it emerged from, to say 'Thank U', maybe :).
The features and the colours of this insect are quite distinct in the picture.
I am familiar with the noise Cicadas make together. We have plenty of them in the alpine forests in the Himalayan region.
Thanks and regards.
Ram

Namastay Steve,
A beautiful capture showing the birth of cicada. Superb details and a lovely composition. Thanks a lot for sharing.

Sincerely
Hara

Hello Steve,
I clicked my fingers and apparently no cicadas in the house:-)
If you have a link with their sound that would be nice..:-)
I'm actually mentioning this because I slept one night in a tent in Damaraland, Namibia and at night you had that very very aggressive sound of apparently thousands or millions(?) of insects(?). Could it be cicadas, I really don't know.
Thanks for sharing.
Annick

Ciao Steve, amazing capure, wonderful action shoot with good colors and great sharpness, very well done, have a great week end, ciao Silvio

  • Great 
  • foozi Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Note Writer [C: 1339 W: 0 N: 2575] (9083)
  • [2009-02-07 5:27]

Hi Steve,
a lovely post with a nice title. the cicada is special and big of course.
Nice perpendicular perching position and blurry distant as background.

regards,
Foozi.

  • Great 
  • red45 Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 2705 W: 74 N: 8864] (30243)
  • [2009-02-07 8:36]

Hi Steve!

Wow! This insect touched another ones bum, I saw it, I swear!
Seriuosly - I envy you. When I was in more tropical countries I always love to hear singing cicadas or crickets. Good photo. Send it to local police office.

Hi Steve,

Almost every day and night I hear the cicades singing their song when I was on holliday on the Northern Island. I like that very much. It gives me the feeling of a real summer.

A beautiful capture showing the birth of cicada. Natural colors. A very good POV and DOF. Sharp as usual. A very, very good story about the livingcyclus of this insect.

Thanks for sharing. Kind regards and TFS BOB

  • Great 
  • Argus Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 3816 W: 190 N: 11348] (34987)
  • [2009-02-08 0:04]

Hello Steve,
Great title for a fine capture!
Even though the OOF natural BG is busy, the freshly emerged Cicada andits pupal case are clearly seen from a great POV and nicely composed on the tree trunk.
You are lucky to have such endemic exotic insects in NZ. We have one species of Cicada in Sweden that is very rare and only 12 mm long!
TFS,
Cheers,
Ivan

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