Amphipsalta zelandica
In 3 days ~30% in a week ~60%
The chorus cicada, Amphipsalta zelandica, is the most common species of cicada in New Zealand, where it is endemic and found in most areas. They typically live in forests and areas with open bush, where their left-over nymph skins can be seen on tree trunks and branches during the summer months. The males produce their cicada sound in unison, which can reach deafening proportions at the height of their population around February. Groups of cicada can suddenly transition from the typical cicada sound to synchronised clicks, using their wings to clap against the surface they are sitting on.
Chorus cicada have a nymph stage before their last molt and become an adult. During this nymph stage they are a soft and creamy white, and very similar looking to the adult form (but without wings). Adults are usually larger than 2 cm in length while the largest species are up to 4 cm; this includes the wings. Chorus cicadas’ wings only appear after molting to become adults, they are membranous with veins, filter out ultraviolet light, and the wing span is about 6 cm.
The colour of the chorus cicada can be black/green/brown and many have stripes along their body. The antenna of the... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abel Tasman National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 2 | Fiordland National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand | |
| 3 | Egmont National Park | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
| # | City | Country | Daily sighting probability |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Auckland | 🇳🇿 New Zealand |
With luck
About 10% of wildlife watchers report a Chorus Cicada sighting in Auckland on a given day, based on 109 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 66th most-seen of the 689 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 30%, and over a week to about 60%, if each day is a fresh chance.
February
In that month about 40% of wildlife watchers report a Chorus Cicada in Auckland on a given day, against under 5% in May and July–December, the lowest months.
Between 9 am and noon
Across all the parks we cover, that three-hour window holds the most Chorus Cicada sightings with a recorded time, and about 8 in 10 of them come between 6 am and 6 pm: it is a daytime animal.
Only Auckland, in our data
Auckland is the only city on Wallace's Line with enough records to rate Chorus Cicada sightings: about 10% of wildlife watchers there report one on a given day.
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Chorus Cicada is recorded against all the insects logged in Auckland (109 verified sightings), 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.
