Cicadas

July 19, 2023

Recently, a ‘foreign’ cicada that is commonly found in several parts of South India has assumed an Indian identity.
The insect species that has now been christened Purana cheeveeda (after its Malayalam name Cheeveedu) used to be mistaken for Purana tigrina, a species that was first described in Malaysia in 1850.
Cicadas are hemipteran insects known for their loud, complex and species-specific acoustic signals or songs.
- Hemipteran insects, also called true bugs, have mouthparts used for piercing and sucking and have two pairs of wings.
The generic diversity of cicadas in India and Bangladesh ranks the highest in the world, followed by China.
Most cicadas are canopy dwellers and are found in natural forests with large trees.
Two types of cicadas commonly exist: annual cicadas and periodical cicadas.
They act as indicators of a healthy forest ecosystem.
Environmental benefits of Cicadas – valuable food source for birds, aerate lawns and improve water filtration into the ground, add nutrients to the soil etc.