Henicopsaltria eydouxii
In 3 days ~50% in a week ~80%
Henicopsaltria eydouxii, commonly known as the razor grinder, is a large species of cicada native to eastern Australia. Predominantly brown in colour, it is found in dry and wet sclerophyll forest in December and January and is quite common in Brisbane.
The razor grinder was first described in 1838 by Félix Édouard Guérin-Méneville as Cicada eydouxii before being moved to the new genus Henicopsaltria in 1866. It is the type species. Its common name refers to its harsh call, which has been likened to the noise of a metal grinder.
The razor grinder is a large cicada with a forewing measuring 50–55 mm (2.0–2.2 in). Males and females are similar in color and markings. The head and thorax is red-brown with black markings. The wings are transparent with some brown discoloration.
The male's call lasts for a few seconds, increases in volume, suddenly stops, and then suddenly starts again. They usually silently feed throughout the afternoon, and then groups call at maximum volume around dusk. There is a secondary population, referred to as the laughing razor grinder, which is only observed in rainforest and wet sclerophyll forest, and has a distinct call.
Razor... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Royal National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 2 | Lamington National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 3 | Blue Mountains National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 4 | Booderee National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia | |
| 5 | Springbrook National Park | 🇦🇺 Australia |
Possible
About 20% of wildlife watchers report a Razor Grinder sighting in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, based on 114 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data from 2019 to 2026. It is the 13th most-seen of the 789 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 50%, and over a week to about 80%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December and January
In those months about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Razor Grinder in Blue Mountains National Park on a given day, against under 5% in March to October, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Razor Grinder sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
3rd of 5
Of the 5 parks where we can rate Razor Grinder sightings, Blue Mountains National Park ranks 3rd at about 20%. The best odds are in Royal National Park (Australia, about 30%) and Lamington National Park (Australia, about 20%).
Same family: Cicadidae
The closest relatives of the Razor Grinder that you can see in Blue Mountains National Park (family Cicadidae, Typical Cicadas) are Green Grocer (about 40%), Floury Baker (about 20%) and Redeye Cicada (about 20%), with each one's daily chance of a sighting.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Razor Grinder is recorded against all the insects logged in Blue Mountains National Park (114 verified sightings from 2019 to 2026), calibrated against known sighting rates. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10% because citizen-science data supports honest approximations, not decimals, and months with records from fewer than five people show "—". How it works.
