Songs of Insects

Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada (Neotibicen davisi davisi)

Song of a Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada (scroll down for explanation and additional recordings!).

An attractive small cicada with rich brown and green markings, the Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada may be heard singing in coastal plain forests from New Jersey to Louisiana, from high in deciduous trees or pines.

Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada

Song: A whining buzz without pulsations that sounds very similar to the song of Neotibicen canicularis, but with a much shorter duration of about 6–7 seconds. Song starts soft, gets louder, then tapers off at the end. The peak frequency is about 7 kHz. Over most of its range, the Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada is the only species with a short “buzz saw” song that lacks the pulsations typical of many other cicadas.
 
Sonogram of a Davis’ Southeastern Dog-day Cicada. © Wil Hershberger.