Kikihia horologium Fleming, 1984, Kikihia laneorum Fleming, 1984, and Kikihia subalpina (Hudson, 1891) - green foliage cicadas
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| K. horologium, male | K. horologium, female |
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| K. subalpina, female | K. subalpina, male |
| * Museum specimens above, with faded overall colouration | |
** Kikihia laneorum is neither displayed here nor described below.
Published information does not provide any morphological character to distinguish K. laneorum from K. subalpina with certainty. The two species, sibling species according to Fleming (1984), are "so similar morphologically that dead specimens cannot be confidently distinguished, yet [live individuals are] isolated and identifiable by their very different songs." |
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Kikhia horologium, K. laneorum and K. subalpina are three members of the green foliage cicadas, a group of species usually found on the foliage of broadleaf trees and shrubs in forests or at their margins and characterised by their overall green appearance (vivid green in live individuals), a usually reduced amount of dark dorsal markings, and the mesonotum with two posterior spots that are rather small and distant from (not fused or contiguous with) the outer obconical (conical with tip downward) marks.
These three species, however, generally display a greater amount of dark dorsal markings and can be found in more open environments and on lower vegetation (e.g., scrublands) than other green foliage cicadas.
Kikihia horologium - Clock Cicada
Identification notes. Green overall colour (bright green in live individuals) with bold dark markings especially in grooves of pronotum and on mesonotum; with rather long, dense body pubescence. Pronotum with median yellow line. Mesonotum lacking a narrow bright orange-red patch between nearly touching inner obconical marks (live individuals, see photo from external hyperlink below). Underside of head with uniformly greenish genae (or cheeks) on each side of frons. Pro- and mesosternum with nearly rectangular black patches. Coxae of forelegs usually without pinkish red patches. Abdomen usually with well defined dorsal median silvery stripe. Male tymbals with 3 long and 2 short ridges. Female pygophore with or without a black longitudinal mark on each side of middle dorsally; seldom thick or strong when present. Body length: 17–21 mm (males); 19–23 mm (females). Wingspread: 42–49 mm (males); 46–53 (females).
Range. New Zealand. South Island: Nelson, Marlborough, Kaikoura, Buller, Westland, North Canterbury, Mid Canterbury, Mackenzie.
Habitat. Subalpine scrub vegetation (e.g., Acyphilla, Cassinia, Hebe), and below the tree line in habitats such as screes, riverbeds, and revegetating landslide areas.
External hyperlinks. Cicada Central website's Electronic Field Guide to the cicadas of New Zealand (Images of live individuals and MP3 song file ). The 2010 Catalogue of New Zealand Auchenorrhyncha (more details on nomenclature, biology, distribution, and dispersal) and the virtual collection of primary types of Hemiptera (photos of primary types).
Kikihia subalpina - Subalpine Green Cicada
| Schematic illustration of characters of purple-pink genae (cheeks), sternum with nearly triangular patches, pinkish red coxae. |
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Identification notes. Green overall colour (bright green in live individuals) with lighter markings in grooves of pronotum and bold dark markings on mesonotum (often fainter than in K. horologium); with shorter, lighter body pubescence than K. horologium. Pronotum with median yellow line. Mesonotum with trace of a narrow bright orange-red patch between nearly touching inner obconical marks (live individuals, see photo from external hyperlink below). Underside of head with brownish to purple-pink genae (or cheeks) on each side of frons. Pro- and mesosternum with nearly triangular black patches. Coxae of forelegs usually with pinkish red patches. Abdomen usually with well defined dorsal median silvery stripe. Male tymbals with 2 long and 1–2 short ridges. Female pygophore generally with a thick black longitudinal mark on each side of middle dorsally. Body length: 18–22 mm (males); 20–24 mm (females). Wingspread: 46–57 mm (males); 50–62 (females).
Range. New Zealand. North Island: Taranaki, Taupo, Hawke's Bay, Gisborne, Rangitikei, Wellington. South Island: Marlborough Sounds, Nelson, Kaikoura, Buller, Westland, Mid Canterbury, South Canterbury, Mackenzie, Otago Lakes, Dunedin, Fiordland. Stewart Island.
Habitat. Subalpine scrub vegetation (e.g., Cassinia, Hebe, Phylocladus alpinus, Podocarpus nivalis), sometimes also in the canopy of Nothofagus solandri cliffortioides (central North Island); in scrublands on ridges down to about 100 m elevation (lower North Island); in forest canopy (e.g., Nothofagus, exotic plantations) from tree line to sea level, but rarely in true subalpine environments (South Island).
External hyperlinks. Cicada Central website's Electronic Field Guide to the cicadas of New Zealand (Images of live individuals and MP3 song file ). The 2010 Catalogue of New Zealand Auchenorrhyncha (more details on nomenclature, biology, distribution, and dispersal) and the virtual collection of primary types of Hemiptera (photos of primary types).
Kikihia laneorum - Lanes' Cicada
Remarks. A black median depression on the 2nd sternite of the male abdomen, when present, may be diagnostic against males of K. subalpina.
Range. New Zealand. North Island: Auckland, Coromandel, Taranaki, Taupo, Gisborne, Rangitikei, Wellington.
Habitat. Mostly in the canopy of tall forests (broadleaf, Nothofagus, or mixed), on a wide range of trees, more rarely on shrubs (e.g., Coprosma, Leptospermum, Pseudopanax) in forest understorey or at the forest margin.
External hyperlinks. Cicada Central website's Electronic Field Guide to the cicadas of New Zealand (Images of live individuals and MP3 song file ). The 2010 Catalogue of New Zealand Auchenorrhyncha (more details on nomenclature, biology, distribution, and dispersal) and the virtual collection of primary types of Hemiptera (photos of primary types).