Episode 15: Scissor Grinder Cicada – Voice of the Wild
Scissor Grinder Cicada (Neotibicen pruinosus).
The scissor grinder’s name was a little more appropriate when it was common practice to sharpen cutting implements with a specialty grinding stone, now the name is a bit anachronistic. Unlike the small, orange-winged periodical cicadas, the Scissor Grinder Cicada can be heard every year. In Illinois, it emerges a little after the summer solstice and graces hot summer evenings with its oscillating call all the way through to the fall.
Do you want to learn more bird songs, frog calls, and insect noises? Join Voice of the Wild every Friday to explore a new wild voice. From time to time, we’ll also do a deep dive into wildlife science, news, and natural history. Voice of the Wild is brought to you by the University of Illinois Extension Natural Resources, Environment, and Energy program.
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Scissor Grinder Cicada audio recorded by Brodie Dunn
Sources and more:
- Common True Katydid. Songs of Insects. Available from http://songsofinsects.com/katydids/common-true-katydid.
- Common True Katydid. Missouri Department of Conservation. Available from https://mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/common-true-katydid.
- Common True Katydid (Pterophylla camellifolia). Singing Insects of North America (SINA). Available from https://orthsoc.org/sina/141a.htm.