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Tibicen lyricen in Brockton, MA

Sightings Category: Cicadas

Tibicen lyricen in Brockton, MA

I found this dead cicada on the ground (or paralyzed? but females aren't out so would this be possible) When I came back out an hour later it was gone. The chipmunks travel this path often, could they have grabbed it? Not sure that the cicada (male i think) would have seen it where it was. (I'm new to all of this) I've had cicada killers for the 3 years I've lived here but this is the first cicada I've ever seen

Tibicen cicada stung and paralyzed by cicada killer

Date Posted: 2012-07-17 Comments: (1) Show Comments Hide Comments

Comments

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2012-07-21 | Website:

Hi Deb,

Thanks for the cool photo. You are correct that this is a male cicada. It is of the species known as Tibicen lyricen. It does indeed look fresh and paralyzed by a female cicada killer wasp. Even though you haven't seen the females as of this photo, I'm sure they are around somewhere.

Sometimes female cicada killer wasps abandon their prey. It can be for a number of reasons.

Your assumption that it was gone when you went looking for it could be that another female cicada killer picked it up or another ground predator took it.

I've witnessed sparrows hanging around cicada killer burrows waiting for females to bring back cicadas and steal them from the wasps! Quite fascinating. Please keep me posted on the number of burrows you see.