Songs of Insects

Round-tipped Conehead (Neoconocephalus retusus)

Song of a Round-tipped Conehead (scroll down for explanation and additional recordings!).

The smallest member of the conehead group, the Round-tipped Conehead has a petite cone that is very rounded and marked with a black line across the front. Found along roadsides and in pastures. Occurs in both brown and green forms. These coneheads are heard long before they are seen and are among the last coneheads to begin singing in the autumn. Easily approached and captured, they are not bothered by a flashlight. While they keep well in captivity, the song is not pleasant.

• click to enlarge •

Cone from below.

Song: A continuous, dry, raspy buzz at around 14 kHz, with a crackling quality that sounds like an electronic short. Sings in late afternoon as well as at night. When found, there are typically several males singing from well spaced perches throughout the field.
 
Sonogram of a Round-tipped Conehead. © Wil Hershberger.