T. tibicen Survey 2006

T. tibicen Survey 2006

Update 3/25/11: - The species name Tibicen chloromera has officially been changed to Tibicen tibicen.. This article has been edited to reflect that change.

My trips to Connecticut have been extremely limited due to my job during the week. This will make only the second trip I have taken this year to continue the survey of the distribution of Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen in Connecticut.

I went for the first time on July 29th to go over the areas I found Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen last year. Below is a table of data comparing the two years. Note: The blank spaces in 2006 are areas that haven't been checked this year.

As you may or may not be aware, my friend from Connecticut Mike Neckermann made an amazing recording of a Tibicen auletes in Connecticut on the 3rd of August. So that was one of the reasons I went to Connecticut to see if I could locate the area.

For fear of being scooped, I am unwilling to reveal the location of this sound recording in Connecticut but suffice it to say it is genuine. Click the thumbnail to the left to hear and see the movie.

Mike indicated that he was told by a colleague that he should be able to find T. auletes in this area because a dead specimen was taken a few years back but no one has ever recorded T. auletes in Connecticut. Congratulations Mike! You know that I'm going to have to visit this area right? I smell another away mission coming.

Mike provided the exact GPS coordinates and I navigated to the exact spot but unfortunately, I didn't hear anything. I waited till around 7:30 pm then I had to head back home. So needless to say, another trip has to be planned to see if I can witness this event or maybe even find a specimen.

Specimens Collected

I did manage to collect some specimens in Connecticut though. I had a ton of time to kill waiting for it to get dark so I found a new area for T. chloromera T. tibicen. As mentioned above, there is a small park off of the Windsor Town center behind a CVS and next to a Train Station. Here the T. chloromera T. tibicen were calling everywhere. This area, like Poquonock along the Farmington River seemed to have well established T. chloromera T. tibicen populations. There was a school right next to the park known as "The Loomis Chaffee School" which also had a ton of T. chloromera T. tibicen calling. Click the thumbnail above and to the left to hear the male T. chloromera T. tibicen calling for a mate.

I managed to hand-catch a Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen male that for some unknown reason landed right next to me on a metal sign. I very slowly reached out with my hand and snagged it. What a great prize! Click the thumbnail to the right to see a small movie of this specimen's alarm squawk as they are the ones that squawk when handled. Below is a still image of this specimen. Click it to enlarge.

Another new area that I went to was a place right outside of Wallingford, CT known as "Sleeping Giant State Park" in Hamden, CT.. Since it was getting on in the day, around 5:30 pm, I was hearing 3 different species of Cicadas calling. Tibicen lyricen, Tibicen canicularis and for the first time for me in person and in Connecticut, Tibicen linnei. Tibicen linnei sounds like someone who is shaking a pair of Marakahs. Click here to listen to what T. linnei sounds like. This movie was taken by my friend Mike who recorded it last year where he works.

I was so excited to hear T. linnei at Sleeping Giant State Park that I neglected to get a proper recording. I will definitely have to go back to this area again in order to see if I can hear T. chloromera T. tibicen as well. Maybe they are here too but you cannot here them calling after 2:00 pm as they seem to stop for the rest of the day then.

While walking along Mt. Carmel Road, back to my car I heard the familiar flutter of cicada wings and noticed a Tibicen lyricen specimen sitting on a small tree. It was just out of reach so I went back to my car and grabbed my net and netted it without a problem. Click the thumbnail to the left to see this specimen up close.

Despite the fact that I was unsuccessful in hearing Tibicen auletes in Connecticut, I still feel it was a great day because I heard a new species, Tibicen linnei in Connecticut even though I already knew they were there in pockets around the state. Not to mention collecting some specimens and finding new areas with well-established populations of T. chloromera T. tibicen. I think there will be enough time still this season for one more visit to Connecticut so stay tuned!