T. tibicen calling in Massachusetts!

T. tibicen calling in Massachusetts!

Update 3/15/11: After the writing of this article the species formerly known as Tibicen chloromera has been changed to Tibicen tibicen. This article has been edited to reflect this change.

Hey all, at first I thought that maybe I was crazy, just hearing things. This site is only supposed to be about the two species of Tibicen cicadas known to be in Massachusetts Tibicen lyricen and Tibicen canicularis. Now though, there may be a third!

Yesterday I was outside with my fiance and both of us heard the call of a male Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen. I know what this seems like but I swear to you we heard it. It was so unusual for my fiance that she thought that maybe it was a child's toy. I said "No way man, that's Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen." Unfortunately we only heard it the one time.

According to John Zyla who runs Cicadas.info Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen most northern range is south western Connecticut. I can tell you that I'm at least a hundred miles north of there. In fact I'm located in North Chelmsford Massachusetts which is just 5 miles from the southern New Hampshire border. Nashua New Hampshire to be exact.

Anyway fast-forward to today. I'm sitting here in my home office and I heard it again at 9:42 am. I decided that I was going to go out and search for sounds of Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen at my favorite cicada hunting spots but I heard nothing so I came back home. Sure enough while up in my office again, I heard it again, then again and then again!! I ran outside with my digital camera which also records sounds and I managed to catch it on digital recording.

Unfortunately, the recording isn't clear because the little Chinese man next door to me was mowing his lawn. But the first five seconds of the sound clip you can just make out the calling song of the male Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen. But first before you hear it, here is a link to Insect Singers web site. Click on the calling song for Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen:

Insect Singers Version: Click here.

Now compare that to my recording, try to hear behind the lawnmower noise in the first 5 seconds. You may have to turn the volume up on your speakers.

My Recording: Click here.

I will definitely try to get a better recording hopefully in the very near future. Lets hope it stays in the neighborhood.

John Zyla of Cicadas.info thinks that this may be a satellite male that flew up from the south to explore new ground. I surely hope the male finds a female Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen to mate with.

This is truly something. I'm excited that we may have this species here. Hearing that sound brought back a flood of memories of hearing Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen while living in Baltimore, calling when I first woke up in the morning and brought back memories of hearing this cicada and running through the house trying to get ready in time to go and catch it.