Small Bottle Cicada
Chlorocysta sp. (cf. vitripennis)
© Popple Creative Industries 2014–2024
Male
Species number (TNS):
574.
Fore wing length:
19–25 mm.
Distribution and seasonality:
Sporadic along the coastal and
subcoastal areas from near Jimna
in south-east Queensland south to
the Queensland and New South
Wales border region. Adults occur
from September to April, with
occasional individuals emerging in
August or persisting until May.
Notable localities:
Brookfield, St Lucia, Mt Gravatt,
Mt Tamborine.
Habitat:
Small Bottle Cicada occurs
primarily in small pockets of
rainforest vegetation in gullies or
along stream lines in areas that
are otherwise surrounded by
sclerophyll forest. Localised
populations can also be found
where rainforest occurs on
plateaus and along streams within
rainforest. It is sometimes a
common, but patchy species in
the western, eastern and southern
suburbs of Brisbane, where it
occurs in some leafy gardens. To
the south and west of Brisbane,
there are a small number of
localities where it occurs
alongside Lesser Bottle Cicada in
the same habitat. Adults sit on the
foliage and outer branches of
leafy vegetation, including weeds
such as Lantana.
Calling song and behaviour:
Males produce a brief “scream”.
One group of males will all call in
unison, followed by separate
choruses from several spatially
discrete groups until it becomes
time for the original group to call
again. Bouts of calling are most
frequent during sunny morning
and afternoons. During overcast
conditions and at dusk calling is
often more sporadic (cf. Lesser
Bottle Cicada). A female will
attract a male by producing
audible wing-flicks at the
cessation of the male’s call. Little
observation has been made of
such behaviour in this species.
Males have been observed to
sporadically produce a soft and
brief buzz during mating. A reason
for this behaviour remains elusive.
Colour variation:
Live specimens are mainly
uniform green. Specimens may
fade to yellow or yellow-brown
after death.
Similar species:
Lesser Bottle Cicada, Large Bottle
Cicada (species complex), Vine-
scrub Bottle Cicada.
Habitat
Female
dr-pop.net database record
Currently known extent
