dog day cicada

(Neotibicen canicularis)

Conservation Status
dog day cicada
Photo by Lalo Mtz-Yrz
  IUCN Red List

not listed

 
  NatureServe

not listed

 
  Minnesota

not listed

 
           
           
           
 
Description
 
 

Cicadas whose population is not developmentally synchronized are referred to as annual cicadas. Dog day cicada is a large, late season, annual cicada. It is by far the most common cicada in Minnesota.

The body is black with green markings. The body alone is 11 16 to 15 16 long. The total length, including wings, is 17 16 to 213 16.

The pronotal collar is green or brown.

The wings are less than 19 16 long. The wing veins are noticeably green, at least near the base.

 
     
 

Size

 
 

11 16 to 15 16 long

 
     
 

Song

 
 

Loud, smooth, like a small circular saw, without a discernible vibrato, increasing in intensity at the beginning, fading at the end, lasting no more than fifteen seconds. They sing as individuals throughout the day, in choruses at dusk. July to first frost.

 
     
 

Similar Species

 
 

Canadian cicada (Okanagana canadensis) song is more of a chatter than a buzz lasting 30 seconds.

Linne’s cicada (Neotibicen linnei) song begins with a 5 second unmodulated buzz that increases in intensity, then transitions smoothly into a 10 second pulsating sound, then a 15 second unmodulated buzz, another 10 second pulsating sound, and finally a five second unmodulated buzz that fades out at the end.

Say’s Cicada (Okanagana rimosa) song begins with a 2 second buzz, a half second to one second pause, then a buzz lasting 15 seconds.

Walker’s cicada (Neotibicen pronotalis) song begins with a 5 second unmodulated buzz, then transitions smoothly into a 20 second pulsating sound, and finally a five second unmodulated buzz that fades out at the end.

 
     
 
Habitat
 
 

Coniferous or mixed woods.

 
     
 
Biology
 
 

Season

 
 

July to September

 
     
 

Behavior

 
 

 

 
     
 

Life Cycle

 
 

Males call to females from the tops of trees. After mating the female deposits eggs inside living twigs. When the nymphs hatch they fall to the ground and burrow into the soil. The nymph spends 3 years underground. In the third year it crawls out of the ground and climbs the host tree. Before reaching the top it sheds its outer skin and emerges as an adult.

The population is not developmentally synchronized. Some adults emerge every summer.

 
     
 

Nymph Food

 
 

Root juices of pine and oak

 
     
 

Adult Food

 
 

Adults do not eat. After mating they die.

 
     
 
Distribution
 
 

Distribution Map

 

Sources

7, 24, 27, 29, 30, 82.

 
  9/9/2022      
         
 

Occurrence

 
 

Common

 
         
 
Taxonomy
 
 

Order

Hemiptera (true bugs, hoppers, aphids, and allies)  
 

Suborder

Auchenorrhyncha (true hoppers)  
 

Infraorder

Cicadomorpha (spittlebugs, cicadas, leafhoppers and treehoppers)  
 

Superfamily

Cicadoidea (cicadas)  
 

Family

Cicadidae (typical cicadas)  
 

Subfamily

Cicadinae (translucent cicadas)  
 

Tribe

Cryptotympanini  
  Subtribe Cryptotympanina  
 

Genus

Neotibicen (dog-day cicadas)  
       
 

In 2005, all North American cicadas in the genus Tibicen were reassigned into two new genera. Under the new classification, Neotibicen includes all eastern species and Hadoa includes all western species.

 
       
 

Synonyms

 
 

Tibicen canicularis

 
       
 

Common Names

 
 

annual cicada

dog day cicada

dog-day cicada

dogday harvestfly

harvestfly

northern dog-day cicada

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary

Pronotum

The exoskeletal plate on the upper side of the first segment of the thorax of an insect.

 
 
Visitor Photos
 
           
 

Share your photo of this insect.

 
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Ann Perry

 
 

The exact markings.

 
    dog day cicada      
 

David Christopher

 
    dog day cicada      
 

Mickinley Landrus

 
    dog day cicada      
 

Lalo Mtz-Yrz

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
           
    dog day cicada      
 

Riley Brennan

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
 

Nanc

 
 

Found a Cicada on my deck.

 
    dog day cicada      
 

jenniferhuss

 
 

mating on my deck

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
 

Luciearl

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
           
    dog day cicada      
 

Cidne Kozlovski

 
 

he flew right into me and has been chilling on my porch for a while.

 
    dog day cicada      
 

Dan W. Andree

 
 

Cicada....

Seemed pretty harmless. I had heard their sounds before but seldom seen one up close. Kind of Army Green Camo color pattern. I noticed it on Aug. 20, 2019 while out in a grassy area next to some woods in Norman county, Mn. Cool creature. 😊

  dog day cicada  
           
 

Underside Dog Day Cicada...

This is the same cicada just a different angle. It had just landed in the grass and I seen the underside first then it crawled or turned around and looked at me, or at least to look up. Interesting transparent like wings.

  dog day cicada  
 

Christine S.

 
 

On my porch window screen. Been hanging on for two days.

 
    dog day cicada      
 

Lynn Rubey

 
  An adult Dog Day Cicada taking cover under Hosta leaves in Ortonville, Minnesota as the heavy dew was still on the gound   dog day cicada  
           
        dog day cicada  
 

Joyside

 
    dog day cicada      
 

Sally Archer Clifton

 
 

My first experience of morphing Cicada

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
           
    dog day cicada      
 

Ed Pembleton

 
 

Discovered by a teacher during our “how to teach outdoors” workshop, they were a great lesson in how interesting learning outdoors can get. Twenty teachers suddenly focused watching an emerging cicada.

Does not get better than that.

  dog day cicada  
           
        dog day cicada  
 

Christina Merhy

 
  My boys were excited to find this winged friend on our deck! We immediately came in to research what it was, which lead us to your site.   dog day cicada  
           
        dog day cicada  
 

Mary Arneson

 
 

These cicadas tumbled into our path as we were cycling. They took probably a half hour to mate, transferring some white gummy looking material. When they finished, the female, and then the male, flew away.

This was in Minneapolis on July 31st 2016. They didn't seem bothered by being picked up and photographed.

  dog day cicada  
           
        dog day cicada  
 

Martha O.

 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
           
    dog day cicada      
           
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
 

Nancy J.

 
    dog day cicada      
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Photos
 
    dog day cicada   dog day cicada  
           
    dog day cicada      

 

Camera

     
 
Slideshows
 
Dog-day Cicada (Tibicen canicularis)
Andree Reno Sanborn
  Dog-day Cicada (Tibicen canicularis)  
     

 

slideshow

       
 
Visitor Videos
 
       
 

Share your video of this insect.

 
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Sally Archer Clifton

 
  dog day cicada 2
Published on Aug 28, 2017
 
   
 
About

Morphing Cicada. I'm from California visiting and this was one wonderful moment!!!

   
 

Martha O.

 
  dog day cicada 1
Published on Aug 26, 2014
 
   
 
About

Uff da

   
       
 
Other Videos
 
  Dog-day Cicada (Cicadidae: Neotibicen canicularis) Lateral Close-up
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Aug 16, 2011

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (16 August 2011). Thank you to Bill Reynolds (@Bugguide.net) for confirming the identity of this specimen!

 
  Dog-day Cicada (Cicadidae: Neotibicen canicularis) Dorsal Close-up
Carl Barrentine
 
   
 
About

Uploaded on Aug 16, 2011

Photographed at the Turtle River State Park, North Dakota (16 August 2011). Thank you to Bill Reynolds (@Bugguide.net) for confirming the identity of this specimen!

 
  Neotibicen Canicularis Calling II 9-6-2012
Annette DeGiovine-Oliveira
 
   
 
About

Published on Sep 22, 2012

Cicada calling at the Bohemia Equestrian Center, Sycamore Avenue, Bohemia, NY 11716

 

 

Camcorder

 
 
Visitor Sightings
 
           
 

Report a sighting of this insect.

 
  This button not working for you?
Simply email us at info@MinnesotaSeasons.com.
Be sure to include a location.
 
  Ann Perry
8/27/2023

Location: Buckhorn, Ontario

The exact markings.

dog day cicada  
  David Christopher
8/6/2023

Location: Birch Lake, MN

dog day cicada  
  Mickinley Landrus
8/3/2023

Location: Hibbing, Minnesota

dog day cicada  
  Lalo Mtz-Yrz
9/7/2022

Bunt Lake, Clearwater MN

dog day cicada  
  Riley Brennan
7/31/2021

Location: Minnehaha Falls

dog day cicada

 
  Nanc
7/29/2021

Location: Brooklyn Park, Mn

Found a Cicada on my deck.

dog day cicada

 
  jenniferhuss
7/23/2021

Location: West St Paul, MN Dakota County

mating on my deck

dog day cicada

 
  Luciearl
8/27/2020

Location: Fairview Twp., Cass County

dog day cicada

 
  PH
8/23/2020

Location: Minnetrista, Minnesota

Found one sitting near the ground of my kids’ swing set.  It was so still that I thought it was a dead bug. 

 
  Cidne Kozlovski
6/15/2020

Location: Duluth, MN

he flew right into me and has been chilling on my porch for a while.

dog day cicada

 
  Dan W. Andree
8/20/2019

Location: Norman County, Mn.

Seemed pretty harmless. I had heard their sounds before but seldom seen one up close. Kind of Army Green Camo color pattern. I noticed it on Aug. 20, 2019 while out in a grassy area next to some woods in Norman county, Mn. Cool creature. 😊

dog day cicada

 
  Lynn Rubey
8/20/2019

Location: Ortonville, Minnesota

An adult Dog Day Cicada taking cover under Hosta leaves in Ortonville, Minnesota as the heavy dew was still on the gound.

dog day cicada

 
  Joyside
7/21/2019

Location: Buffalo

dog day cicada

 
  KMC
8/11/2018

Location: White Bear Lake

it sounds like I have hundreds of them. They are horrible. I can’t sit  out on my deck and relax anymore. The sound hurts your ears!!

 
  Sally Archer Clifton
8/24/2017

Location: Kingfield

My first experience of morphing Cicada

dog day cicada

 
  MaryBeth
8/4/2016

Location: Harmony, MN

My dog was "playing" with something on the deck and when he dropped it I could finally see what it was. He was freaked. I was grossed out. I had no idea we had those here.

 
  Amanda M
arted late May 2016 until now

Location: Hastings, MN

I found my first one in my bean garden in late may. A full grown adult just laying on the dirt. It climbed up my royal burgundy bean bush, shed its skin and left. Then I found another deserted exoskeleton. 2 months went by before i saw more. Suddenly there were 6 skins in my bean feild. Then i found 2 adults on the bricks under my rainwater barrel, who also shed and fled. I began to notice large holes at the bases of my bean bushes. To date (late August) I've seen 5 adults, found 10 skins and i can hear multiple individuals singing as i type this. I learned alot about them since i saw the first one!

 
  Ed Pembleton
8/15/2016

Location: Hoover Elementary School, 369 Elton Hills Dr NW, Rochester, MN 55901

Discovered by a teacher during our “how to teach outdoors” workshop, they were a great lesson in how interesting learning outdoors can get. Twenty teachers suddenly focused watching an emerging cicada.

Does not get better than that.

dog day cicada

 
  Jaeger324@
comcast.net

8/10/2016

Location: Maple Grove, MN

My cat finds them our deck and brings them in as a gift to me.

At first I thought that they could be the Dutch elm borer but our forester said they were a cicada.

 
  Christina Merhy
8/6/2016

Location: Minnetonka, MN

My boys were excited to find this winged friend on our deck! We immediately came in to research what it was, which lead us to your site.

dog day cicada

 
  Sue
8/9/2016

Location: Chaska MN

Hung onto the side of our car all the way from Chaska to Shakopee.

  Dora
8/3/2016

Location: maple lake, mn

my dog spotted one on our driveway at night. Big surprise for me! I had no idea they lived so far north! Googled it this morning. Learn something everyday

 
  Mary Arneson
7/31/2016

Location: Minneapolis, MN

These cicadas tumbled into our path as we were cycling. They took probably a half hour to mate, transferring some white gummy looking material. When they finished, the female, and then the male, flew away.

This was in Minneapolis on July 31st 2016. They didn't seem bothered by being picked up and photographed.

dog day cicada

 
  Marc
7/16/2016

Location: Dayton's Bluff in St. Paul

2 emerged from the soil under the Norway spruce

  April Narcisse
6/28/2016

Location: Bloomington, MN

I was just reading on your site about the emergence of cicadas. I listen for them every year and this year I was shocked to hear one for the first time on June 28. I don't think I have ever heard one this early. I only hear one at a time and I hear him every day - most likely the same one circling our yard. Just thought I'd report this very early cicada.

Have you ever heard one this early?

 
  John Valo
7/3/2016

Apriil.

I just heard my first dog day cicada this afternoon, July 3, at Swedes Forest SNA. Last year my first sighting (hearing) was July 20. I would have to go through my handwritten notes from previous years to find earliest sightings for those years.

The sightings listed below are all after August 1st. Yours is by far the earliest reported here.

 
  Jon
8/30/2015

Location: Lakeville MN

IT WAS JUST SITING ON THE DECK RAIL

  Steve Hannah
8/20/2015

Location: University of Minnesota campus in Crookston

I am assuming this is the species, I hear them but have not gone to the trees to identify.

The buzz is loud on campus today, with temperatures in the low 80's. I do not hear them in other areas in our region but they seem to be prevalent in several rows of pine trees surrounding campus.

  Sauk Rapids K
8/20/2015

Location: Sauk Rapids MN

These have been singing periodically in my neighborhood for the past 2 to 3 weeks.

 
  Candyf
8/16/2015

Location: Prior Lake

found one dead cicada in our yard about a week ago

  Martha
8/19/2014

Location: Fridley, MN

dog day cicada

 
  Martha
8/16/2014

Location: Fridley, MN

dog day cicada

 
  chasfmn
9/8/2013

Cicada in St Paul West Side

My dog caught one and played with it, did not what it was until he dropped it and was able to see it. I did not know we even had these in our area till seeing this one and had always thought I was hearing tree frogs but could have been the cicada. Sound a lot alike to me.

 
  Nancy J
8/10/2013

Location: Spicer, Minnesota

I was reading about Cicada on your website.  We found a number of Cicada in Spicer, Minnesota this past August.  They were wonderful to listen to the past few weeks.

dog day cicada

 
           
 
MinnesotaSeasons.com Sightings
 
 

Agassiz Dunes SNA

Badoura Jack Pine Woodland SNA

Baker Park Reserve

Bertram Chain of Lakes Regional Park

Big Stone Lake State Park

Blaine Preserve SNA

Blanket Flower Prairie SNA

Blazing Star Prairie Addition Preserve, South Unit

Bonanza Prairie SNA

Buffalo River State Park

Carver Highlands WMA, South Unit

Cedar Mountain SNA

Cedar Rock SNA

Cherry Grove Blind Valley SNA

Chippewa Prairie

Clifton E. French Regional Park

Clinton Prairie SNA

Cottonwood River Prairie SNA

Crosby Farm Regional Park

Crow Wing State Park

Crow-Hassan Park Reserve

Des Moines River SNA

Falls Creek SNA

Flandrau State Park

Foxhome Prairie

Frenchman’s Bluff SNA

Frontenac State Park

Glendalough State Park

Glynn Prairie SNA

Greenleaf Lake SRA

Greenwater Lake SNA

Grey Cloud Dunes SNA

Hastings SNA

Hayes Lake State Park

Hole-in-the-Mountain Prairie

Holthe Prairie SNA

Hyland Lake Park Reserve

Hythecker Prairie SNA

Iron Horse Prairie SNA

Itasca State Park

Jensen Memorial WMA

John Murtaugh Memorial WMA

Kasota Prairie SNA

Kellogg Weaver Dunes SNA, Kellogg Weaver Unit

Kilen Woods State Park

Lake Bronson State Park

Lake Johanna Esker Preserve

Lake Rebecca Park Reserve

Lebanon Hills Regional Park

Leif Mountain

Lost Valley Prairie SNA

Maplewood State Park

Margherita Preserve-Audubon Prairie

Mille Lacs Kathio State Park

Minneopa State Park

Minnesota Valley NWR, Wilkie Unit

Mississippi River County Park

Monson Lake State Park

Mound Prairie SNA

Mound Spring Prairie SNA, North Unit

Myre-Big Island State Park

Neal WMA

Northern Tallgrass Prairie NWR, Hoffman Unit

Ordway Prairie

Oronoco Prairie SNA

Pin Oak Prairie SNA

Pine Bend Bluffs SNA

Prairie Bush Clover SNA

Red Rock Prairie

Rice Lake Savanna SNA

Rice Lake State Park

Richard M. & Mathilde Rice Elliott SNA

River Terrace Prairie SNA

Rock Ridge Prairie SNA

Sandpiper Prairie SNA

Savage Fen SNA

Scenic State Park

Schaefer Prairie

Seminary Fen SNA

Seven Sisters Prairie

Sheepberry Fen

Sibley State Park

Split Rock Creek State Park

Spring Prairie Preserve

Staffanson Prairie

Swedes Forest SNA

Thorson Prairie WMA

Twin Valley Prairie SNA

Twin Valley WMA: North Unit

Uncas Dunes SNA

Verlyn Marth Memorial Prairie SNA

Vermillion River WMA

Whitetail Woods Regional Park

Wild Indigo SNA

Wild River State Park

Wood-Rill SNA

Woodbury WMA

 

 

 

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