Double Drummer — Cicada

Cicada | Double Drummer (Thopha saccata) ◦

The cicada Double Drummer (Thopha saccata) is one of the larger cicadas in Australia, it is also one of the loudest of all cicadas.

The adults are usually seen from November to March, gathering on the larger eucalypt trees. The adult cicada often emerge together, evidence being the cluster of empty nymph skins (called exuviae) that can be seen around the base and lower trunks of the eucalypts.

The Double Drummer have been found in urban areas, forests and woodlands throughout eastern Australia.

There are five species that are recognised:

Desert Double Dummer (Thopha emmotti)
Double Drummer (Thopha saccata)
Golden Drummer (Thopha colorata)
Northern Double Drummer (Thopha sessiliba)
Pilbara Double Dummer (Thopha hutchinsoni)

Double Drummer (Thopha saccata), Cicada — Double Drummer (*Thopha saccata*) © Katrina Leel

Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Hemiptera
Family: Cicadidae
Genus: Thopha
Species: T. saccata
Binomial name: Thopha saccata

Footnote & References

Thopha saccata, Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 1 November 2020, 19:15 UTC, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thopha_saccata [accessed 13 November 2020]