Henicopsaltria eydouxii
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~30%
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 |
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Razor Grinder sighting in Brisbane on a given day, based on 59 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 352nd most-seen of the 1083 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 30%, if each day is a fresh chance.
December to February
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Razor Grinder in Brisbane on a given day, against under 5% in March to November, the lowest months. Those are among Brisbane's wettest months, with about 140 mm of rain a month against 40 mm in July.
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.
Yes
Of the 2 cities where we can rate Razor Grinder sightings, Brisbane has the highest daily chance: under 5%. Next come Sydney (Australia, under 5%).
Same family: Cicadidae
The closest relatives of the Razor Grinder that you can see in Brisbane (family Cicadidae, Typical Cicadas) are Brown Bunyip (about 10%), Clanger (about 10%) and Black Tree-Ticker (about 10%), 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 Brisbane (59 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.
