| Actual Image
Double Drummer (24)
sandpiper2
![Gold Star Critiquer/Gold Star Workshop Editor/Gold Note Writer [C: 1697 W: 108 N: 3629]](http://i1.treknature.com/misc/g-g-g.gif) (11941) | Back in January I found a patch of woodland that was thick with cicadas. Unfortunately, most were high up in the trees, even though I was there fairly early in the morning. Then they began to sing and I knew they were drummers; deafening once the whole population gets “singing”.
I persevered, hoping to find a late emerging one, wish I had ear-plugs though. Eventually I found one, though not in a great position and climbing fast, but I managed a couple of shots.
It was a Double-drummer (Thopha saccata) and this one was a male, you can see the very large timbal cover below the wings. This is the organ that produces the characteristic loud piercing song. In this species the song is produced at a constant pitch.
They are a large cicada with a body length of about 65mm and a wingspan of 130mm. They are found in open woodland and tall open forests dominated by eucalypts, flying from November to March. They are distributed on the central east coast from near Fraser Island south to Moruya.
I put another view in the workshop.
Info: Cicadas of central eastern Australia by Lindsay Popple (here) |
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