Skip to main content

‘Dog-day’ Cicada

| By | Pests

‘Dog-day’ Cicada (Neotibicen canicularis)

GDD Window (base 50): 1500 (approx.) adult emergece

Overview:​​​

  • Often overlooked because periodical cicadas are more publicized ​
  • Emerge early July and die by mid-September  ​
  • Can be heard throughout NJ singing their “electric buzz-saw” screams ​
    • Screams are not synchronized, and less loud than periodical cicadas ​
    • Each male sings for 15 seconds  ​
  • Less dense populations than periodical cicadas ​
    • 2–3-year life cycles: Emergence is not synchronized, and so some will emerge every year ​
  • Mated females use their ovipositors to insert eggs through the bark of small terminal twigs on trees​
  • Females create slits in the twigs to deposit their eggs ​
    • Causes flagging – twigs and small branches turn brown and wither before dying back​
  • Splits and punctures in the branches can appear as straight lines or rows of puncture marks  ​
    • Can cause broken branches  ​
  • Nymphs feeding on roots can weaken or stunt plant growth  ​
  • Look for shed exoskeletons on trees and other surfaces  ​
  • Host plants: A variety of woody plants, including common trees & shrubs​

Management:

Cultural Practices:
  • Natural predators:  cicada killer wasps (Sphecius speciosus), birds, bats, spiders, mantises, rodents​
  • Protect young trees and shrubs with netting or cheesecloth ​
  • Delay planting new trees until cicada season is over  ​
  • Prune and remove damaged twigs within three weeks of egg laying
Materials:
  • Contact insecticides:​
    • Carbamates [1A]: Carbaryl  ​
    • Pyrethroids [3]: –thrins​
    • Organophosphates [1B]: Chlorpyrifos​
  • Considerations:​
    • Will harm non-target species​
Biorationals:
  • Horticultural oils​
  • Insecticidal soaps​
  • Water and vinegar solution
  • 1 cup vinegar to 4 cups water​

Resources:

Dog-Day Cicadas Are Still Singing, but Cicada Killer Wasps Aren’t Fans – PPA

 

Full side view of the dog-day cicada showing the black eyes & dark green body coloration plus the clear wings with green veins. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Adult dog-day cicada emerging from final nymphal molt. Most adults arrived during the weeks of July. (Photo Credit: Britannica)
Matured dog-day nymphs leave the ground & will often climb the tree trunk above the roots they fed upon. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Close-up of dog-day cicada exoskeleton vacated by the adult. Sometimes it can remain attached to tree trunks for weeks. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Dog-day cicadas are tree dwellers & can be found on many tree species. Males will often be found singing in pines trees where they are difficult to spot. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Dog-day cicadas have dark green heads & black eyes. The green wing-veins blend-in well with the pine needles. The pair of vibrating tymbals, hidden by the wings, are located just behind where each hind-wing is attached. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
The approximate location of the pair of tymbals on this male are where the white fungal infections are shown just behind the hind-wing attachment at the 1st abdominal segment. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
The whitish underbelly of this female dog-day cicada clearly shows the ovipositor out of the abdomen at left & the proboscis out of the head at right. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
This re-enactment shows the cicada killer wasp dragging its paralyzed cicada over the soil mound & into the nesting burrow. (Photo Credit: Steven K. Rettke, Rutgers Coop. Ext.)
Disclaimer – Materials do not cover all possible control scenarios and are intended for licensed professionals. Tradenames do not imply endorsement and are used as examples. You must strictly follow the label for each compound prior to use. Rutgers is not responsible form is used materials or damages thereof. The label is the law. Labels will provide detailed information on use and restrictions. Additionally, application intervals, compatibility, surfactant use, PHI, PPE, important and other key information is described in detail. Always discuss treatments with your local agents. Note: Neonicotinoids can only be legally applied in commercial agriculture settings by licensed applicators. Guidelines and recommendations made in this presentation are specific to the state of New Jersey.