Marbled Bottle Cicada Chlorocysta suffusa (species complex)

Marbled Bottle Cicada (species complex) Chlorocysta suffusa (Distant, 1907)

Male

Includes Chlorocysta fumea (Ashton, 1914) Species number (TNS): 566–572. Fore wing length: 25–32 mm. Distribution and seasonality: This complex is known to occur in the wet tropics from Cooktown to Paluma Range, north Queensland. Isolated populations are also known from around Coen and at Iron Range. Adults occur from November until at least April. Notable localities: Cape Tribulation, Mt Lewis, Julatten, Kuranda, Cairns, Atherton, Malanda, Mission Beach. Habitat: Tropical rainforest and riparian forest; also in well-vegetated gardens. Species complex includes: Daintree Marbled Bottle Cicada (TNS: 567): Occurs from the Cairns and Kuranda area north to Cooktown. Atherton Marbled Bottle Cicada (TNS: 569): Presently known only from between the Herberton Range and Tolga on the Atherton Tableland. Slender Marbled Bottle Cicada (TNS: 566): Known only from Mt Lewis and the Malanda to Millaa Millaa district on the Atherton Tableland. Pale Marbled Bottle Cicada (TNS: 568): Known from around Gordonvale south to Mission Beach. Paluma Marbled Bottle Cicada (TNS: 570): Restricted to the Paluma Range north of Townsville. Cape York Bottle Cicada (TNS: 571): Restricted to Iron Range and McIlwaith Range. McIlwraith Bottle Cicada (Chlorocysta fumea, TNS: 572): Known only from the southern end of the McIlwraith Range. Calling song and behaviour: Adults sit on the main trunks of rainforest trees. The males produce a drawn-out whistle (in all types of Marbled Bottle Cicada). Singing occurs in bursts during the day and often becomes more frequent and/or prolonged towards dusk and during overcast conditions. Females are presumed to attract males via wing-flicking at the cessation of a burst of song; however, this has not yet been observed in any of the examples in this species complex. Colour variation: Green colours of live specimens typically fade from green to yellow-brown after death. Similar species: Frog Cicada (species complex).