Neotibicen pruinosus
In 3 days ~10% in a week ~20%
Neotibicen pruinosus, commonly known as the scissor grinder, is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae. The scissor grinder occurs in most of the eastern United States. It is common in wooded areas, often within grassland environments.
All species in the genus Neotibicen used to be part of the genus Tibicen, until Tibicen was split into multiple genera. Neo is Greek for "new" while tibicen is Latin for "flute player" or "piper". The specific name pruinosus is Latin for "frosty". Its common name, the scissor grinder, comes from its sound, like all the other cicadas that are known as scissor grinders. They all sound like scissors being run over a grinding wheel.
Scissor grinders, like all other cicadas, use their proboscis, a type of insect mouthpart similar to a straw, to pierce trees and drink fluid from the xylem. The scissor grinder is similar in appearance to many other species in its genus. It is mostly green with many complex markings on its body. Its abdomen is entirely black.
A rare pale variant of the scissor grinder occurs in southeastern Kansas and eastern Oklahoma. This variant is far lighter... Wikipedia →
| # | Park | Country | Daily sighting probability |
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More parks will be added in future updates.
Rare
Under 5% of wildlife watchers report a Scissor Grinder sighting in Houston on a given day, based on 26 verified sightings from GBIF citizen-science data. It is the 402nd most-seen of the 1057 insects we can rate there. Over three days the chance rises to about 10%, and over a week to about 20%, if each day is a fresh chance.
August and September
In those months about 10% of wildlife watchers report a Scissor Grinder in Houston on a given day, against under 5% in October to July, the lowest months.
5th of 6
Of the 6 cities where we can rate Scissor Grinder sightings, Houston ranks 5th at under 5%. The best odds are in Chicago (United States, about 10%), Dallas (United States, about 10%) and Detroit (United States, about 10%).
GBIF citizen-science records
It is estimated from how often the Scissor Grinder is recorded against all the insects logged in Houston (26 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.
