Xeropsalta eremica
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Xeropsalta eremica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Auchenorrhyncha |
| Family: | Cicadidae |
| Genus: | Xeropsalta |
| Species: | X. eremica |
| Binomial name | |
| Xeropsalta eremica | |
Xeropsalta eremica is a species of cicada, also known as the Nullarbor green, in the true cicada family, Cicadettinae subfamily and Cicadettini tribe. The species is endemic to Australia and was described in 2025 by Australian entomologists Maxwell Sydney Moulds and David C. Marshall.[1][2]
Appearance
Males have a body length of 12.3–13.9 mm, while females are slightly larger at 15.0–16.4 mm (including the ovipositor). The forewings are hyaline (glassy) with pale green to yellow venation.[1]
The head is primarily black with a bit of green near the eyes and on the gena. The thorax is pale yellow-green to yellowish-brown with a complex pattern of black markings on the pronotum and mesonotum. A key distinguishing feature is the male's abdomen, which is predominantly black on the dorsal (upper) side, tapering evenly from the third segment. Females have much-reduced black abdominal markings compared to males.[1]
The opercula (the plates covering the tymbals) in males are pale green to yellow, broadly rounded, and extend just beyond the tympanal cavity but do not meet. The male genitalia feature claspers that are distally fang-like and an aedeagus with short, pointed pseudoparameres.[1]
Habitat
Type specimens have been collected from short grass clumps following periods of good rainfall.[1]
Reproduction
Females respond to the male calling song by flicking their wings after each buzz. The female has a well-developed ovipositor sheath that protrudes almost 2 mm beyond the abdominal segment, which is used for laying eggs into plant tissue.[1]
