Black cicadas | Maoricicada

High alpine cicada | Maoricicada alticola

This cicada is black with some gold on its underside. Its wings are tinted brown, and the base of the back wings have coloured patches. The body length of this cicada is generally 18–22 mm.

On a white card is a thick, green High Alpine cicada that captures the whole picture. Its see-through wings are spread out and they have a green outline.

Dorsal view of a female Maoricicada alticola. Photo by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Via Wiki Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can only be found around a handful of mountain ranges in the upper South Island: in particular, the Turk Ridge, Crimea Range, and St Arnaud Range.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is coloured white apart from small dot of green in the upper South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. February is coloured green the rest are white.

This cicada is generally only found in February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a high alpine cicada. The audio begins with one elongated chirp and is followed by one click. This repeats two more times.

Campbell’s cicada | Maoricicada campbelli

The most widespread of the black cicadas. It is common throughout the North Island and South Island alpine regions.

This species is named in honour of James Wishart Campbell, an early New Zealand scientist, who collected the first specimens of this species.

This black cicada has silvery hairs across its body, and a thick red edge on its wings. It has a purple X mark on its back, and its underside is reddish-brown.

There is a small Campbell’s cicada resting on a rock, the background is blurred and the body has a blue, green, pink colour. Its wings are closed and extend behind the back and the contour has a pink and blue colour.

Campbell’s cicada | Maoricicada campbelli. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This is the most widespread of the Maoricicada species. However, they are almost entirely confined to the subalpine areas of the North and South Island. They can be found in the stony riverbeds, bare ground and grassy fields, more often than not on top of rocks and boulders.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is white except for a green spot in the middle of the North Island and a long green strip that follows the Alps in the South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. November to March are coloured green, the rest are white.

This species can generally be found from November to March, but is most common in January and February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a Campbell’s cicada. It starts off by a zit sound that is getting longer at the end and is followed by a short click. This is repeated two times and after that there are eight chirps which get louder.

Screaming cicada | Maoricicada cassiope

This cicada has black, dark reddish-brown or black markings on its back. It has black hair around its upper body and head and silver hair on its underside. Its tymbals are gold, and it can also have golden stripes on the top of its abdomen. The wings have a thick reddish edge.

This species gets its name from its song, which can be so loud and high-pitched (especially towards the end of its song) that it can hurt some people’s ears when it is close by!

The Screaming cicada has a black body with green marks on its back, pitch black eyes and captures the whole picture, it sits against a blurred background on some moss. Its veiny wings have a dark red and black outline and they are closed.

Screaming cicada | Maoricicada cassiope. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
It is relatively common on the central North Island volcanic plateau and the upper South Island.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is coloured white apart from a small part in the middle of the North Island and the top of the South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. December to March are coloured green, the rest are white.

This species can generally be found from December to March but is most common in January.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a screaming cicada. Its beginning note is an elongated chirping sound which is getting higher at the end. After this sound there is one single high-pitched click. This gets repeated one more time.

Yodelling cicada | Maoricicada clamitans

This cicada is black with brownish markings and silvery hair. The underside is pale or pinkish brown, with a row a black patches along its centre, and the wings have thick reddish edge.

This species gets its name from its song, which sounds a bit like a yodel.

Against a light blue background sits a Yodelling cicada on a rock, it has a dark brown body with black marks on its back and its eyes have a brown colour. The closed and transparent wings have brown edges and extend behind its body.

Yodelling cicada | Maoricicada clamitans. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This is cicada in scrub and tussock grass on the hills and alpine regions of the lower central South Island.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is white apart from a piece of green in the lower middle South Island.

Time of year

It is most common in January, but can also be found in December and February.

Song
“Yodel-yodel-yodel”
This is a recording of the sound of a yodelling cicada. The cicada makes elongated chirping sound which get high-pitched at the end of each note. These sounds are repeated many times.

Hamilton’s cicada | Maoricicada hamiltoni

This cicada has long white hair under its head and on its sides. It has a dark orange X mark on its back, and its underside is mostly black. This cicada is named in honour of Harold Hamilton, a former collector at the Dominion Museum (Te Papa’s predecessor).

A Hamilton cicada sits on a rock, its dark grey body stretches upwards and the background is blurred. This cicada is very tiny, has hair on its back and the closed, transparent wings have a grey frame.

Hamilton’s cicada | Maoricicada hamiltoni. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found in the North Island volcanic plateau, the Wairarapa, and the subalpine regions of the upper South Island, generally in the stony riverbeds and tussock herb fields.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is white except for a green dot in the middle of the North Island, a green section on the bottom right of the North Island, and a strip of green in the middle-top of the South Is.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. November to January are coloured green, the rest are white.

It is most common in January, but can also be found in November and December.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a Hamilton’s cicada. It contains high-pitched and short chirping notes that are repeated equally.

Iolanthe cicada | Maoricicada iolanthe

These cicadas have a dark olive green or brown head, with black markings on their body. Their body is relatively short and stout, with a point on the end. Their wings are short with red veins and the males have salmon-coloured amplifier plates. This cicada is named after the fairy Iolanthe, from the Gilbert & Sullivan opera of the same name.

This close-up portrays an Iolanthe cicada which has a brown body with black marks on its back. You can see the cicada from a bird's eye view and its transparent wings are spread which have brown edges.

Maoricicada Iolanthe. Auckland War Memorial Museum, via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is relatively rare, so its exact range is still not well defined. However, it can generally be found in the North Island, in all regions except Auckland and Northland.

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

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. Noveber to March are coloured green, the rest are white.

This species can generally be found from November to January, although it can also sometimes be found in February and March too.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of an Iolanthe cicada. Firstly, the sound starts with three elongated chirps that have a clicking note at each end. This is followed by some clicks before the earlier pattern returns.

Linsay’s Cicada | Maoricicada lindsayi

This is New Zealand’s smallest cicada, with a body length of only 12-14 mm. This cicada has a narrow body with short yellow hair. It has a pale green or yellow-brown X mark on its back, and its underside is pale. It was named in honour of Charles Lindsay who collected the first specimen of this species.

A green Linsay’s cicada with yellow marks on its back is portrayed from above. The transparent wings have a light green and yellow frame and they are spread.

Maoricicada lindsayi. Photo by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
It can be found in the northeast of the South Island. It is generally found on rocky outcrops, valley slopes and bare soil.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. All of the country is white except for the top-right part of the South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. November to February are coloured green, the rest are white.

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

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a Lindsay’s cicada. It contains quiet and high-pitched chirping notes in a slow rhythm. After four chirps some clicks follow before the chirping returns.

Scree Cicada | Maoricicada mangu

This cicada has short, silver hair on their backs and a pale brown underside. Its biological name, mangu, comes from the Māori word for black.

This species is divided into four different subspecies, which live in different places on the South Island mountains.

In front of a blurred surrounding there is a small Scree cicada sitting on a lichen-covered branch. Its body has a greenish-blue colour and the shut, see-through wings have a grey layout.

Scree Cicada | Maoricicada mangu. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This species is generally found on the screes and bare rocks of the alpine areas of the upper South Island. The Canterbury scree subspecies is generally found along the Southern Alps, from Lewis Pass to Lake Tekapo. The northern scree subspecies is generally found in alpine regions north-east of Lewis Pass. The Dun Mountain subspecies is found around Dun Mountain, Mount Robert, and the Matai-Roding Saddle. The braying subspecies can only be found on the Turk Ridge and Crimea Range.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. All of the country is white apart from two sections in the top half of the South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. January to March are coloured green, the rest are white.

This species can generally be found in January and February, and, to a lesser extent, March.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a scree cicada. It has a slow rhythm and the chirping notes are very deep. It sounds like a frog.

Myers’ Cicada | Maoricicada myersi

This black cicada has dark grey hairs across its body, and a thick brown edge on its wings. It has a light brown or greenish X mark on its back, and its underside is reddish-brown. It generally has a body length of 13–15 mm. This species is named in honor of John Myers, an early researcher of New Zealand cicadas.

Sitting on a light grey stone is a black Myer’s cicada with light brown eyes and light brown marks on its back. Its shut wings have a black outline and they nearly extend behind its body.

Maoricicada myersi. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This very rare cicada is only found in one location in New Zealand: in the Ōrongorongo Valley near Wellington. It is generally found sitting on the rocks in this valley.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white apart from a small area of green at the bottom of the North Island.

Time of year

This species can generally be found from November to January.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a Myer’s cicada. The audio has a simple rhythm. It starts with a loud high-pitched chirping note followed by three clicks. That repeats two times.

Subnival Cicada | Maoricicada nigra

Both subspecies have a short and wide body, although it is generally lighter: its body is paler, its hairs are more silvery, its wings are clearer, and the amplifier plates on its underside have pale margins.

This cicada comes in two subspecies: Eastern and Western subspecies.

This close-up portrays a black Subnival cicada, it has hair on its body and is sitting on a stone in front of a blurred surrounding. The see-through wings have a black frame and are nearly extending behind its back.

Subnival Cicada | Maoricicada nigra. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
The eastern subspecies can be found in the Otago highlands, while the western subspecies is generally found in the alpine and subnival areas of the Southern Alps.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white except for a long green strip in the South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. November to April are coloured green, the rest are white.

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

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a subnival cicada. The cicada makes very quiet clicking sounds. These are repeated quickly.

Greater Alpine Black Cicada | Maoricicada oromelaena

This cicada is generally black and hairy with orange or green markings. The underside is black with pale margins. It has a body length of between 17mm and 23mm, and a wing span of between 37mm and 47mm.

The Greater Alpine Black cicada has a hairy dark green body and is in front of a white background. The cicada is seen from above and its spread transparent wings have a light green frame.

Maoricicada oromelaena. Photo by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
These cicadas can be found in tussock herb fields, scree and stony streams of the hills and alpine areas along the Southern Alps.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white apart from a long green stripe in the South Island.

Time of year

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

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a greater black alpine cicada. Long, quavering main notes with initial modulation, followed by a short and high suffix, sounding like “ee-ee-ee-ee-ee-zip...”.

Speargrass Cicada | Maoricicada otagoensis

This cicada is generally found in alpine and subalpine regions of Central Otago. It can be found on rocky outcrops, screes, tussock grasses, and shrubs.

That Speargrass cicada has a grey-white body and has hair on its back, it lies on a rock and the background is blurred. Its wings are clear and nearly extend behind its body, they also have a grey outline.

Speargrass Cicada | Maoricicada otagoensis. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
This cicada is generally found in alpine and subalpine regions of Central Otago. It can be found on the rocky outcrops, screes, tussock grasses, and shrubs.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white except for a green patch in the lower South Island.

Time of year

A table with two rows and 12 columns showing the months of the year. January to February are coloured green, the rest are white.

This species is generally only found in January and February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a speargrass cicada. Merging prefix with the main note followed by a short and high suffix: “ee-yer eeyer chick...”.

Southern Dusky Cicada | Maoricicada phaeoptera

This cicada has a pale underside, with a few black markings down its centre. The front wings are tinted brown, but unlike the Northern Dusky Cicada, the back wings do not have a coloured patch. It generally has a body length of 16-22 mm and a wingspan of 32-41 mm.

This close-up shows a bird's eye view of a Southern Dusky cicada, its hairy body has a dark green colour and it has big yellow eyes. The wings are transparent, spread and have a green-yellow outline.

Maoricicada phaeoptera. Photo by Birgit E. Rhode, Landcare Research New Zealand Ltd. Via Wikimedia Commons CC BY 4.0

Distribution and habitat
This cicada can be found in the subalpine and alpine regions of South Canterbury, Otago, and Southland. It is only found in the herb fields and grasses, although the males can be found singing on bare surfaces, such as rocky outcrops or loose soil.

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. Most of the country is white with a green patch on the lower third of the South Island.

Time of year

This species is generally only found in January and February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a southern dusky cicada. The main note is composed of an accelerating click repetition rate followed by a repeated suffix: “ee yer-chup-chup-chup...”.

Northern Dusky Cicada | Maoricicada tenuis

This cicada has a pale green or pale brown underside, with black markings down its centre. The front wings are tinted brown, and the back wings have a coloured patch at their base.

On a rock sits a small Northern Dusky Cicada, its hairy body has a dark green and black colour and the wings have a dark green frame. The cicada seems very dynamic and it looks like it’s going to move.

Northern Dusky Cicada | Maoricicada tenuis. Photo by Melvin Esson

Distribution and habitat
It can be found in the grassy herb field in the subalpine and alpine regions of the upper South Island. The males are generally found singing on the bare rocks

A map of Aotearoa New Zealand with a blue background. The entire country is white apart from a small curved green part of the north of the South Island.

Time of year

This species can be found from January to March but is most common in February.

Song
This is a recording of the sound of a northern dusky cicada. The cicada starts with an elongated chirp, then proceeds with lots of short clicks and after that there is one single tick.