Magicicada neotredecim

Description

Magicicada neotredecim is the most recently discovered species of periodical cicada. Like all Magicicada species, M. neotredecim has reddish eyes and wing veins and a black dorsal thorax. It has a 13-year life cycle but seems to be most closely related to the 17-year species Magicicada septendecim. Both species are distinguished by broad orange stripes on the abdomen and a unique high-pitched song said to resemble someone calling "weeeee-whoa" or "Pharaoh." They differ only in life cycle length. Another closely related 13-year species Magicicada tredecim differs very slightly from M. neotredecim, and for many years two were considered one species with slight differences in abdomen color and mitochondrial DNA suggesting a zone of hybridization or introgression between 13-year and 17-year -decim populations. Then in 1998, scientists studying recordings of the chorus sound of Brood XIX recognized that the low-pitch component of the chorus contained two peak frequencies in some midwestern populations, corresponding to the songs of two sympatric 13-yr species related to M. septendecim. Because of their many similarities, M. neotredecim, M. tredecim, and M. septendecim are often described together as "decim periodical cicadas."