Summer's Choir: Cicadas Heard Far and Wide

Ribbons dangle, as your mouth the morn’s dew sips,Outward, from your soon leafless tree, goes your cry;From on high released, into the distance slips,Autumn breezes aid not its passage through the sky.

The Cicada— Tang Dynasty Poem by Yu Shi-Nan

Its musical cries pour forth from the jagged branches of the sycamore; this symphonyrings loudly and independently of external influences; by its very nature it is thus. InYu Shi-Nan’s poem, he proffers an image of a noble gentleman who needs not curryfavor from powerful figures, a gentleman whose fame precedes him: the cicada, thehero of our story. Upon further inspection of the cicada’s history, we can comprehendthat their fame is well-earned.

Most species of cicadas’ life cycles remain a mystery. After mating, the female withlay her eggs in a woody plant. After an incubation period of a certain length, the eggshatch and a nymph enters into the world. The nymph falls to the ground and drillsa hole into the earth where they spend countless moons. After their final nymphalinstar they reach their final life stage: adulthood—when they must now molt andtake their adult form. It is during this final life stage that the males sing their songs,but mating signals the beginning of the next generation. The nymphs must quietlyrest in the inner recesses of the soil concealing themselves from the world. After thecicada has molted its former exoskeleton, it prepares to take flight from atop a tree’sbranch— immaculate of soul, it ascends steadily into the sky! However, a cicadacannot live on dew alone, adults all have needles equipped with which to drain plantfluids for sustenance— when underground, their primary source of nutrition is fromplant roots (as such when their numbers are in excess they can actually bring abouteconomic losses for their human neighbors).

The majority of cicadas inhabit mountains and forests— and Taiwan certainly has anabundance of these terrains. From the tropical zones to frigid zones, from low hillsto towering peaks, varied habitats have led to a multitude of cicada species. As of thepresent, 21 families and 60 species have been discovered in Taiwan— of which 6 areendemic to Taiwan. All over Taiwan from April until September their cries ring true.Let’s take a closer look at these summer singers!

• upper：Euterpnosia alpine / Chen Chien-Hung
• lower：Cryptotympana atrata / Ka-Ka

Folk Songs Heard from Afar: Cryptotympana spp.

Size: the smallest Cryptotympana atrata male is approx. 37-40 mm & female is approx. 36-39 mm; thelargest Cryptotympana kotoshoensis male is approx. 50 mm & female is approx. 48 mm.

Identifying Characteristics: is a large-sized cicada; body is black, hard and smooth; has a metallicluster.

Habits: this group of cicadas is the most well-distributed among the Taiwanese cicada; imagos appearfrom June until September; the Cryptotympana takasagona has the farthest reach of the group, livingat altitudes ranging from sea level to 1,200 meters above sea level; front wings are green within theframes of the blood vessels; the Cryptotympana atrata variety is found primarily on the western plains,with ½ its wings being red; it’s possible to observe different Cryptotympana at every Taiwanese nationalpark.

Cryptotympana atrata is the show’s protagonist during the daytime throughout allof Taiwan. This large-bodied cicada is found on Chinaberry trees, Sacred Fig trees,Camphor trees and even your average run-of-the-mill tree near city sidewalks. Whensinging in unison, their calls resonate throughout the air. Not even the Taiwan Bulbulcan match the vociferousness of this cicada. Those of the Cryptotympana family allhave loud voices. In the flatlands you can often hear the Cryptotympana atrata and theCryptotympana takasagonas low voices singing a duet. Cryptotympana takasagona holsti,on the other hand, has adapted very well to city living. It finds respite from the noise atforest margins and on mountain sides. It likes large & tall trees. However, if you wantto see the manliest, the heaviest, or hear the lowest voice of the Cryptotympana, thenyou have no option but to journey to Orchid Island to see with your very own eyes theirtrue nature.

• upper：Cryptotympana takasagona /Chen Chen-Hsiang
• lower：Cryptotympana takasagonaholsti / Chen Chen-Hsiang

From Dusk till Dawn:The Tanna sozanensis of Yangmingshan

Size: Male, approx. 34-38 mm; Female, approx. 23-27 mm

Identifying Characteristics: found exclusively in Taiwan; is a medium-sized cicada; bodyis primarily dark brown and green; body shape and color vary; the head and thorax is golden;whereas, the abdomen is silver.

Habits: the males of this group cry out at dusk, dawn and when it’s overcast—yet deep in thedark forest you can hear them all day long; this cicada often spends it time at lower mountainaltitudes from 300~1,000 meters above sea level; Yangmingshan National Park is home toquite a large number of them.

While walking along the Mt. Datun Mountain Path in Yangmingshan NationalPark, the orderly path-side greenery sieves the sun’s morning rays casting shadowsupon the ground. Hither, thither and yon the boisterous rattles of cicadas’ criesreach the serene pathway. Soon the cicadas begin to perform a round: Mt. DatunPath’s summer theme song. It is as elegant and rhythmic as a waltz. Instead ofresting in their usual haunts within the dark forests, they have commenced withthe prologue of summer mating. From dusk until dawn they belt out their cries,sans intermission, from the forests. These passionate cries enchant and mesmerizepassersby with their musical festivities.

Twilight Choir: Taiwanosemia hoppoensis

Size: Male, approx. 31-34 mm; Female, approx. 20-23 mm

Identifying Characteristics: found exclusively in Taiwan; is a medium-sized cicada; body isprimarily yellowish-brown, olive green and black; its entire body is covered in golden scales; itsbelly is white; of all the Taiwanese cicadas, this is the only one with red compound and simpleeyes.

Habits: these cicadas are primarily found on the western plains; most often seen on theCoast Sheoak along the coast; imagos (metamorphosed adults) appear roughly from May untilOctober; the males will begin their choral cries before the sun has risen until right before it hasfinished rising; the evening chorus begins right as the sun kisses the horizon and continues forapproximately 40 minutes.

Ambling down paths bordering Taijiang National Park’s wind-sheltered forests,as the sun sears the sky with its daily descent and darkness replaces light, the socalleddark cicadas (Taiwanosemia hoppoensis) sing in their twilight choir fromwithin the orderly Coast Sheoaks: “chirr, chirr,” they sing—almost as thoughthey were troubadours singing misty songs about the legends of the wetlands.The dark cicadas are unafraid to announce the extent of their territory, flutteringfrom branch to branch ringing out tunes to indicate their sovereignty overthe area. When darkness envelops the land, their cries die down; they haverelinquished the stage to their nocturnal brethren until dawn. As the sun risesin the east, as the waterfowl rouse the dragonflies with their flapping wings, thedark cicadas wind down their choir, waiting for their next opportunity to singagain.

• upper：Tanna sozanensis / Chen Chen-Hsiang
• lower：Taiwanosemia hoppoensis / Chen Chen-Hsiang

The Ethereal Bel Canto in the Towering Mountains: Euterpnosiaalpina

Size: male is approx. 32 mm

Identifying Characteristics: found exclusively in Taiwan; is a small-sized, narrow cicada; its abdomen isrust-colored at the joints and black in between them.

Habits: of all the Taiwanese cicadas, the Euterpnosia alpine is the cicada with the most different kinds(16 in all); commonalities among the types include that imagos appear from April to May and that they arefound at the highest altitudes of all cicadas, approx. 2,000-2,500 meters above sea level.

Upon ascending to altitudes the mist calls home at Shei-Pa National Park, to heights abovethe lower peaks that crane their necks looking up toward Yushan, under the shadow cast bythe lush emerald spirit tree in Taroko, ascend to more than 2,000 meters above the sea, onlythen will you be able to witness the stars of the soaring peaks: the Euterpnosia alpina. Thiscicada—just like its favored resting spot, the Taiwan Red Pine—does not fear the harsh,frigid climes of the mountains where temperatures peak in the 10s. Chilled drops of waterresting atop its cocoon, the cicada bursts forth to complete its metamorphosis and begins itsseasonal song of ineffable beauty.

Island Ballads: Purana gigas

Size: male, approx. 27-33 mm; female, approx. 26-30 mm

Identifying Characteristics: its bottom side is primarily a dark ochre, whereas its back is replete withsilvery-white scales that can be shed; its head is greenish-brown in color; between its red eyes are randomlyspaced black spots; its wings are transparent; from the tip of its front wings starting at the 1st & 4th wingsupport tubes there are evident black stripes.

Habits: imagos begin to appear in Kinmen around June until November; they tend to be picky eaters,resting only on the trunks of pine trees and drinking their sap for sustenance.

A unique chorus inhabits Kinmen National Park, singing island ballads of the ancients;this is the chorus of the Purana gigas. These cicada are primarily distributed throughoutsouthern China along the coast—as Kinmen is located in this special area, there are hordesof Purana gigas found there, as opposed to the main island of Taiwan where they cannotbe seen. Between the wetland pine forest of Kinmen’s Sun Yat-sen Memorial Park andTaiwu Mountain’s Horse Tail forest you can hear chirping away in the afternoon. Theirimpeccable camouflage conceals them from view within the forest. Across the Taiwan Strait,Nipponosemia virescens find a home in the tropical monsoon forests of Nanren Moutain. Inspite of their radiant luster, they keep it low-key under the concealing curtain of the BeachGardenia and the Hiiranshan Hawthorn. Chirping as though they were old men playingtheir moon guitars, strumming their peninsular tune, “Chirr! Chirr! Chirr!” Facing theTaiwan Strait these two species of cicada belt out their island ballads.

• upper：Euterpnosia alpina/ Chen Chien-Hung
• lower：Purana gigas / Kinmen National Park Headquarters

Island Ballads: Nipponosemia virescens

Size: male, approx. 21 mm; female, approx. 23 mm

Identifying Characteristics: found exclusively in Taiwan; a green variety and light yellow variety exist.The green variant has green compound eyes, yet its simple eyes are red; its abdomen is a fusion of green anddark brown; it has green wings. The light yellow variety has the same physical characteristics as the greenvariety, except that its color scheme involves light yellow instead of green.

Habits: these cicada are generally found on the Hengchun Pennisula at low altitudes, imagos appear fromApril until July.

For Taiwanese cicadas, although they are striking indeed, there is a dearth of researchand understanding about them, which has been so ever since the end of the Japaneseoccupation. It was not until recent years that interest in cicadas had been rekindled.Beginning in 2003 until the present, there have been 9 new species and one new familynamed in Taiwan. Additionally, many species still require further research before they canbe adequately classified. The variety of cicada species in Taiwan is staggering; as such thereis much that remains unknown about their distribution, numbers and habits. Thus, it’simperative that we invest a greater effort into researching these precious summer singers.

Fun Facts

1.Taiwan’s largest cicada is Seebohm’s Giant Cicada (Formotosena seebohmi). The male is approx. 49 mm long with wings63 mm long. It is one of the 18 protected bug species in Taiwan. It’s body is primarily black and aqua blue. Whereas,Taiwan’s smallest cicada— those of the Mogannia family— are approx. 15 mm in length. They are widely distributedfrom flatlands to low mountain altitudes. Upon close observation, it’s easy to spot traces of theirs left behind on plants ofthe Poaceae family.

2.Jade cicadas can be separated by use into 3 types: 1.) ornamental, it is worn on one’s person as an accessory andto ward off evil; 2.) headpiece, worn on a hat as an adornment; 3.) burial, this kind is special in that it is placed in thedeceased’s mouth as a burial piece— it’s roots can be traced back to the Han dynasty. Jade cicadas were chosen asaccoutrements on account of the fact that the ancients considered them to be symbolic of a noble disposition. What’smore is that since they fall to the ground and burrow in autumn, they inevitably breach the surface upon the arrival ofspring. In this way they symbolize periodicity, the beginning of a new cycle and unbroken generations of progeny— assuch, it is used in burial rites in the hopes of the deceased being able to complete the cycle and return to the beginningwith a new life.

• upper：Nipponosemia virescens/ Chen Chen-Hsiang