Kikihi Cicadas | Kikihia

Tussock cicada | Kikihia angusta

One of the smaller species of cicadas. The males are generally grey with straw-coloured markings, and the females are generally pale brown with grey markings.

The tiny orange tussock cicada rests on a stalk against a blue background and it has a greenish back. Its closed and transparent wings have a light-brown frame and the cicada has brown eyes.

Tussock cicada | Kikihia angusta. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat

This cicada can be found on Stewart Island and in parts of the South Island. In the lower South Island it can be found in the lowlands and subalpine regions East of the Alps, while in the upper South Island it is generally found on the hills and subalpine regions.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is coloured white apart from the lower right part of the South Island which is green.

Time of year

Table with the 12 months and Jan, Feb, and Mar are all green, the rest of the months are white.

This cicada is generally found from January to March.

Song

This is a recording of the sound of a tussock cicada. It has a continuous zit-sound which has a regular rhythm.

Greater bronze cicada | Kikihia cauta

The greater bronze cicada is brown on the underside of its body with dark bronze markings on the top. These cicadas look very similar to the Lesser Bronze Cicada, although they are generally bigger and have a browner underside. They are also less common than the Lesser Bronze Cicada, as they are generally found high up on trees.

On a small-leaved plant sits a Greater bronze cicada in front of a blurred green surrounding. Its body has a green colour with black and red marks and the wings are transparent with a reddish outline.

Greater bronze cicada | Kikihia cauta. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is found throughout the North Island, although it is less common in Taranaki and on the East Cape. They are generally found high up on trees and shrubs.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North Island is coloured green and the South Islands and other islands are white.

Time of year

Table with 12 months of the year and Jan to Mar are green, the rest are white.

This cicada is generally found from January to March.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a greater bronze cicada. It is a galloping soft but high-pitched chirping sound.

Snoring cicada | Kikihia cutora

Nicknamed “cutora, the snorer”. The song of this cicada supposedly sounds a bit like someone snoring. This cicada has a yellow-orange stripe down its back, and has black inner markings and paler outer markings.

This particular species is split into three subspecies: the northern subspecies, the southern subspecies, and the Kermadec subspecies.

This close-up shows a snoring cicada with a bright green body sitting on a green leaf in front of a blue scene. Its transparent wings are closed and the frame is dark brown in colour.

Snoring cicada | Kikihia cutora. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
These cicadas can be found in the broadleaf trees and shrubs, coastal scrub, and long grass. The northern subspecies lives in Northland, Auckland, Waikato, and Coromandel. The southern subspecies can be found throughout the other parts of the North Island. The Kermadec subspecies lives only on the Kermadec Islands.

Time of year

Table with months of the year and some are green, some are white, and one is yellow

The Northern subspecies found throughout the year, although it is more common in January, February and March, and much less common in the winter months

The Southern subspecies can be found November to May, but is more commonly found in March and April.

The Kermadec subspecies is generally found from August to March.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a snoring cicada. The sound contains loud and high-pitched chirping noises with very short interruptions. Between these notes there are parts with longer pauses.

Dugdale’s cicada | Kikihia dugdalei

This cicada lives throughout the North Island but is rarely seen. Although it is very rare, it is quite distinctive: they have bright pink patches on their front legs, and two short lines with two small black dots on the underside. This cicada was named after John Dugdale, an important New Zealand cicada researcher.

Against a white background is a green Dugdale’s cicada with its wings spread. The cicada captures the whole picture, it has brown eyes and the wings have a light brown edge.

Dorsal view of Kikihia dugdalei photographed by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
These cicadas can be found throughout the North Island in lowland areas, forest margins, and shrublands, although they are relatively rare.

Time of year

A table with 12 months of the year on it. Four of the months are green and the rest are white.

These cicadas can be found throughout the North Island in lowland areas, forest margins, and shrublands, although they are relatively rare.

Song
Continuous, rapid, high-pitched “zits”.

There is currently no recording of the song available.

Clock cicada | Kikihia horologium

This cicadas are green with dark markings on their head. They generally have a yellow line down their head and a silver stripe on the top of their abdomen. The species gets its name from its song, which sounds a bit like the ticking of a fast clock.

This small green clock cicada, which has black and yellow spots on its body, lies on a small-leaved plant in front of a blurred green and blue background. Its closed, transparent wings have a light green outline that makes the cicada appear disguised.

Clock cicada | Kikihia horologium. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found in the subalpine shrub along the Southern Alps of the upper South Island, (from the Kaikoura Ranges to Aoraki).

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The top two thirds of the South Islands is green, and the rest of the country is white.

Time of year

table with 12 months listed and three of them are green

This cicada is most commonly found in January and February, although it can also be found in March.

Song
“Tick tick tick …”
This is a recording of the sound of a Clock cicada. The cicada makes short and high-pitched ticking sounds which are repeated quickly. In between those ticks are parts with more rapid ticking sounds.

Lane’s cicada | Kikihia laneorum

This cicada is named in honour of John and David Lane who discovered this species.

In front of a white background is a brown Lane’s cicada with black marks on its body that captures the whole picture. You can see the cicada from above and its wings are outstretched and have brown edges.

Kikihia laneorum Fleming, 1984, Collected bySir Charles Fleming KBE. Te Papa (AI.000465) FRS, FRSNZ, J Fleming, 1971-02-10

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found throughout the North Island, although it is more common along the coast and lowlands.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North Island is coloured green and the South Island and other islands are white.

Time of year

Single-row table with the 12 months of the year showing. Four of the months are coloured green.

This species can generally be found from January to April, but it is most common in February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of Lane’s cicada. It has continuous sharp chirping sounds that are repeated slowly.

Chathams cicada | Kikihia longula

This cicada is exclusively on the Chatham, Pitt, and Mangere Islands. It is generally light green or pale brown in colour.

This Chathams cicada is viewed from behind and sits on a grey ground, its body is black, has brown marks and has a yellow and white stripe on its back. The transparent wings are closed and have a black outline.

Kikihia Longula. Photo by Peter de Lange Via Wikimedia Commons CC0

Distribution and habitat
These cicadas can only be found on the Chatham, Pitt, and Mangere Islands.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. All islands are white except the Chatham Islands off to the east of the main islands.

Time of year

This cicada species is generally found from November to April, although it is most common in January and February.

Song
There is currently no recording nor a description of the song available.

Variable cicada | Kikihia muta

This cicada is one of the most common cicadas in Aotearoa New Zealand. They are typically green, with a yellow stripe on their head, and a silver stripe on their body. However, the colour of the females in particular can vary, with yellow, brown, orange, or even red forms known.

This species could have at least seven different subspecies, although not all of these have been fully described yet.

On a field of leaves lies a Variable cicada, it has a green body and red eyes and it also has the yellow stripe on its back. Its closed transparent and veiny wings have a light grey contour.

Variable cicada | Kikihia muta. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution
These cicadas are found throughout the North Island and the upper two-thirds of the South Island.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North and top two thirds of the South Island the lower part of the South Island which is white.s.

Time of year

A two-row table with some of the cells coloured green.

This cicada can be found from October to April, although it is most common from December to February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of the variable cicada. Their song is usually composed of a long chirp, followed by several short ones: “Zeee zit zit zit zit”.

April green cicada | Kikihia ochrina

This bright green cicada is commonly found from February to April. They have two short lines on their back. Some individuals have two small black dots on their posterior too. Some bright orange, yellow, or even red individuals can be found.

There is a small April green cicada sitting on a branch against a blurred blue background. The transparent wings have brown markings and the eyes are brown and green in colour.

April green cicada | Kikihia ochrina. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found throughout the North Island and Three Kings Islands. It was also recently introduced to Christchurch, possibly as a nymph in the roots of shrubs that were shipped down to a greenhouse.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North Island is coloured green and the South Island and other islands are white, except for Christchurch in the South Island.

Time of year

Two rows in a table showing the months of the year. Most of the cells are green and two are white.

This cicada can be found from October to July, but it is most common from February to April.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of an April green cicada. It has high pitched continuous, quickly repeated zits.

Peg’s cicada | Kikihia paxillulae

This cicada is light green with a yellow-orange stripe down its back, and pink marks on its legs. The New Zealand cicada scientist Charles Fleming named this species after his wife, Peg.

Peg’s cicada | Kikihia paxillulae. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found in the long grass and shrubs of the Kaikoura plains.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white except for a small part of the upper east coast in the South Island.

Time of year

This species is generally found in January and February.

Song
There is currently no recording nor a description of the song available.

Pink cicada or Murihiku cicada | Kikihia rosea

As its name suggests, some individuals in this species have a pinkish colour, although other individuals have more orange-brownish colouring. The Māori name for this cicada, murihiku, means “the tail end (of the land)” and refers to the southern parts of the South Island, where this cicada can be found.

That Pink cicada has a green body with brown marks on its back, it sits on a green stalk in front of a blurred blue background. The closed and transparent wings have a brown and green frame and extend behind the body.

Pink cicada or Murihiku cicada | Kikihia rosea. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is generally found in the shrubs and tussock areas of the subalpine regions in the southern parts of the South Island and on Stewart Island.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North Island and the top third of the South Island and the Chatham Islands are white, the rest of the South Island and Stewart Island is green.

Time of year

Two-row table with some of the second row coloured green. They are showing the months of the year.

This cicada species is generally found from November to March, although it is most common in January and February.

Song
“Zee zee zee zeeeet”
This is a recording of the sound of a pink cicada. The audio starts off by many short clicking sounds that are repeated very quickly. Between these rapidly repeated sounds there are sections with accelerated clicking noises.

Lesser bronze cicada | Kikihia scutellaris

These cicadas are also known as the “washing line cicada”, as they can sometimes be found on the washing lines in backyards. These cicadas look very similar to the Greater Bronze Cicadas, although they are generally smaller and have a green underside (in contrast to the brown underside of the Lesser Bronze Cicadas). They are also much more common than the Greater Bronze Cicadas.

Lesser bronze cicada | Kikihia scutellaris. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is common throughout the North Island. Within the last few decades, it was introduced to Picton, possibly via the ferry, and it is now commonly found throughout the top of the South Island. It is generally found in the forests, particularly around mahoe trees.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The North Island and the top tip of the South Island is green and the rest of the country is white.

Time of year

This cicada can be found from November to June, but it is most common from February to April.

Song
“Diddle dee dit dee… diddle dee dit dee”
This is a recording of the sound of a lesser bronze cicada. It has loud and high-pitched chirping sounds. Between the first two chirps is a short pause which contains one shorter chirping noise. After those follows one other short and another long chirping sound. That pattern repeats two more times.

Subalpine green cicada | Kikihia subalpina

This cicada is bright green with dark markings. It has a yellow stripe down its head and sometimes has a short orange line down its back. Its wings have red veins, and the thick wing edge is purple. The males have bright green amplifier plates on its underside.

This Subalpine green cicada has a yellow stripe on its head and rests on a green cloverleaf in front of a blurred background with other clover leaves. The wings are see-through and the frame has a brown and green colour.

Subalpine green cicada | Kikihia subalpina. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is common throughout the hills and subalpine areas of the central and lower North Island, as well as the South Island and Stewart Island. In the North Island, it is generally found in grasses and shrubs; in the South Island it is more common in the forests.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The top of the North Island is white and the rest of the country is green.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. Five of the months are shaded green.

This cicada species is generally found from December to April, although it is most common in January.

Song
“Treeeee… zee-za zee-za”
This is a recording of the sound of a subalpine green cicada. The cicada repeats many short and high-pitched chirps. Between them are three chirping notes, that are a bit longer than the other ones.