Whats this in my back yard?

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Sat down to have a beer in the garden this afternoon and the mrs saw this little critter on the fence just behind me.

I reckon it probably looks a lot nastier than it is, but can anyone identify it?

First I thought it was a butterfly crysillis thingy but then I thought it looks rather too well equipped in the pincer area.

At least it wont kill me now, whatever it is / was is well gone and this is just the hollow shell / remains.

What I do know is that it wasnt there at all 4 hours ago!

Any ideas?

Jon

[scarry]

Cicada,harmless,nothing to wory about

[Pedro_The_Swift]

It is, or was a cicarda,,

they crawl up the trees, exit from their shells, and fly off,,

lots of different colours and noisey,
but part of the Oz landscape,,


its the Drop Bears you gotta worry about--

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/639.jpg

[one_iota]

A Cicada.

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/638.jpg

They spend many years undergound, then when it is time to mate they emerge, shed their skin and fly.

You will hear them sing loudly....the first sign of summer on its way...I heard them for the first time this year the other night. :D

As Pedro says part of the Oz landscape....and they come in many colours. The one above is called a Greengrocer. The black ones are called Black Knights and there is a yellow one that we used to call a Yellow Mundy. As kids we used to try to collect as may different colours as we could. The males are the ones that sing and the females are silent.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

My God,, if a Cicarda can survive Sydney,,
I can,,








no, sorry,,;)

[KarlB]

It is the 'skin' from the final molt of a cicada. The beastie crawls out from the ground where it has been living for several years, climbs to some highish point, the skin splits and a beautiful creature emerges.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Thanks everyone. Great wealth of knowledge as always!

I know someone that'll sleep easier tonight now!

Jon

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Black Prince!!!

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Some trees are just covered in them Jon,,:cool:

[Yorkshire_Jon]

It is the 'skin' from the final molt of a cicada. The beastie crawls out from the ground where it has been living for several years, climbs to some highish point, the skin splits and a beautiful creature emerges.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

"...Living for several years"... Wow. Just shows, ignorance is bliss!

[Tikirocker]

They generally spend 7 years under ground before hatching ... we'd spend all summer as kids climbing tree's to catch them ...

Black Princes, Green Grocers, Whisky's were the best known of them ... if you picked them up around their wings, so they didn't fly away, they'd usually Pi$$ allover over you. :D

We also used to collect the giant furry spitfire caterpillars from the tree's ... always let them go later of course.

Simon.

[Pedro_The_Swift]

the skin splits and a beautiful creature emerges.


can anyone say Ralph Fiennes in RED DRAGON ?

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Some trees are just covered in them Jon,,:cool:

Last week I found a tree that was literally covered with Stink Bugs. Spent hours picking the buggers off and getting rid of them. Hopefully the lime (or lemon) tree will survive, cos it looks pretty bad at the moment.

Will need to keep a look out for the cicarda things now too, though Im happier I can leave them be!

[KarlB]

Here is an animated gif of an American species emrging fom its skin:

https://www.aulro.com/afvb/images/imported/2010/11/637.jpg (http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/62/Cicada_molting_animated-2.gif)

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Yorkshire_Jon]

They generally spend 7 years under ground before hatching ... we'd spend all summer as kids climbing tree's to catch them ...

Black Princes, Green Grocers, Whisky's were the best known of them ... if you picked them up around their wings, so they didn't fly away, they'd usually Pi$$ allover over you. :D

We also used to collect the giant furry spitfire caterpillars from the tree's ... always let them go later of course.

Simon.

Spitfire Caterpillars... Need to google those, I reckon I may have some of them too! The whole back yard seems to be coming alive this weekend. I have seen 4 or 5 various sizes black hairy caterpillers today!

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Its been a while,,
but my memories are of one iota's insect rather than karlB's,,


but Karly's is a pretty young,,;):eek:

[KarlB]

Just out of interest cicadas occur in many part of the world. Australia has about 220 species with the greatest diversity near Cairns. Usual time spent in the ground is 2-5 years but some species in North America spend up to 17 years underground. Not sure what the average underground phase is in Australia but I think the seven years that is often cited relates more to the frequency of 'boom' years when the numbers can be enormous. They are one of the few insects in Australia that have become part of our folklore.

Cheers
KarlB
:)

[Pedro_The_Swift]

Maybe 'cos they are big enough to pick up but not bite us?

[Yorkshire_Jon]

They generally spend 7 years under ground before hatching ... we'd spend all summer as kids climbing tree's to catch them ...

Black Princes, Green Grocers, Whisky's were the best known of them ... if you picked them up around their wings, so they didn't fly away, they'd usually Pi$$ allover over you. :D

We also used to collect the giant furry spitfire caterpillars from the tree's ... always let them go later of course.

Simon.

Spitfire Caterpillars... Need to google those, I reckon I may have some of them too! The whole back yard seems to be coming alive this weekend. I have seen 4 or 5 various sizes black hairy caterpillers today!

[slug_burner]

Spitfire Caterpillars... Need to google those, I reckon I may have some of them too! The whole back yard seems to be coming alive this weekend. I have seen 4 or 5 various sizes black hairy caterpillers today!

sounds like them, black hairy things, they cluster on branches of trees

[The ho har's]

Last week I found a tree that was literally covered with Stink Bugs. Spent hours picking the buggers off and getting rid of them. Hopefully the lime (or lemon) tree will survive, cos it looks pretty bad at the moment.

Will need to keep a look out for the cicarda things now too, though Im happier I can leave them be!


spray with "white oil" it will kill any bugs on it , not sure about cicadas though,
an also help with sooty mould..the black crap on the leaves:)

Mrs hh:angel:

[ezyrama]

Instead of using chemicals to control the bugs on your fruit tree, try using the old washing water from the laundry. My wife uses it on the orange and mandy trees and it works a treat ( no I'm not a tree hugger:cool:)

Cheers Ian

TRUE WILDERNESS! THE SPACE BETWEEN A GREENIES EARS!:wasntme:

[Xtreme]

spray with "white oil" it will kill any bugs on it , not sure about cicadas though,
an also help with sooty mould..the black crap on the leaves:)

Mrs hh:angel:

If You intend eating the fruit, I believe 'Eco Oil' is far friendlier.

[The ho har's]

Instead of using chemicals to control the bugs on your fruit tree, try using the old washing water from the laundry. My wife uses it on the orange and mandy trees and it works a treat ( no I'm not a tree hugger:cool:)

Cheers Ian

TRUE WILDERNESS! THE SPACE BETWEEN A GREENIES EARS!:wasntme:


If You intend eating the fruit, I believe 'Eco Oil' is far friendlier.



I am sorry for posting now...was only trying help with a new Aussie's questions

Mrs hh:(

[one_iota]

White oil can be simply a cup of cooking oil, half a cup of water and a little amount of detergent and mixed with water one part white oil to 40 parts water...can't get much more eco than that.

The down side of this recipe is that the pores of the leaves can clog on hot days. The commercial blends avoid this.

Best used to treat leaf miner on citrus.

[LookAtMe]

spray with white oil it will kill any bugs on it , not sure about cicadas though,
an also help with sooty mould..the black crap on the leaves:)

Mrs hh:angel:

White oil is pretty useless against beetles like stink bugs. The best way to kill them is to simply knock them off and kill them by squashing them. Misinformation can sometimes be harmful you know Yorkshire Jon.....if your citrus trees are not looking too well one of the best things you can do for them (apart from a feed) is to pee on them. On the ground that is, not the leaves. They love whatever it is in urine that they love. If you are in the suburbs maybe the best time to do this is at night in the dark so you don't scare the neighbours and local kids.

[windsock]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/attachments/general-chat/31190d1290238150-whats-my-back-yard-bug-4.jpg

They float well too...


When I was a kid we used to collect them up and use them to float a hook over the trout pool. Worked everytime first time... :D

[Yorkshire_Jon]

Once again guys and Mrs HH, thanks for the help.

Jon

[FenianEel]

Be careful of Wombats, expecially when your not at home.
A wombat eats, roots and leaves.

[p38arover]

I know someone that'll sleep easier tonight now!

Not once she starts hearing the noise they make. As noted earlier, they are the sound of the Aussie bush and, with millions of them out there, can be almost deafening at times.

[bluelightdisco]

we used to call them thunder bums when we were kids the only thing that shut them up was a bushfire!

[KarlB]

They do stop calling when it gets dark.