New Forest Cicada

Cicadetta montana, commonly known as the New Forest Cicada, is a species of cicada found throughout Europe and in parts of Asia.

It is endangered over large parts of Europe, and has vanished from several areas in Western Europe. It is the only cicada species native to England and Finland (Åminnefors in Pohja).

The adult females inject their eggs into the stems of food plants, and, when the larvae emerge, they burrow underground and as nymphs feeding on root sap. This underground stage lasts for between four to ten years.

Females have a body measuring about 50 mm in length, with the males being much smaller. It has transparent wings with prominent veins, folded over the back when at rest, and a dark slate-grey or black body with dull orange rings around the abdomen. The legs are marked with dull orange as are the leading edges of the wings (costae).

As with all cicadas, the males produce the shrill, buzzing calls by rapidly flexing drum-like membranes, while the females are limited to producing clicks. The call of C montana sounds like static hiss to the unaided human ear and is sustained with relatively short lulls at irregular intervals.