An Arabian Cicada Encounter at the Al Showkha Trail in Ras Al Khaimah

At the warmth of the day, the loud "love song" of the male Arabian Cicada can be heard

An Arabian Cicada holding tightly on a tree branch as it plays its music

Can you spot where the Arabian Cicada is on its high branch concert stage?

A detailed head shot of the Arabian Cicada

Listen to the distinct  sound of the mating call of the male Arabian Cicada  

Nature's concert kings are back singing their "love songs". The Arabian Cicada males are all out with their rendezvous of musical chirpings to captivate the females. 

It was in a recent hiking trip at the wadi areas of the Al Showkha Trail in Ras Al Khaimah, that I got to encounter the distinctly long, loud to almost monotonous mating call sound of the Arabian Cicada. By listening carefully to the loud sound I was able to locate the tree, the branch and the actual cicada which was broadcasting! 

 The Arabian Cicada (Platypleura arabica) is the largest of the cicada species in the UAE. It is also observed in Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia. The adults can reach up to 26mm long. 

This cicada has a flat head with prominent eyes that face forward, and two very short bristle-like antennae. It is black in color with yellow-brown markings. It has two pairs of wings that are membranous with the forewings showcasing distinct sclerotized veins. 

The male cicada produces a loud, monotonous sound to attract the female with the use of 2 sound-producing organs at the lateral side of its abdomen called the tymbals. The tymbals act as speakers which produce sound in almost the same manner. These organs vibrate rapidly and the sound is magnified by the resonance with the body cavity of the cicada. The singing is mostly done in the warmth of the day but once danger is sensed, it stops immediately!

The female cicada "cannot sing" but they are attracted to this musical rendezvous by the male. Once captivated by the love song, the cicada pair mate and the female lays her eggs via her ovipositor in slits on the bark of trees. 

Upon hatching, the immature cicada (nymph) directly goes underground and live a subterranean life. It has developed front legs which are used mainly for digging. The nymph spend years underground (from 1 to 9 years) feeding on the roots of trees. Upon completing its development, it emerges from the ground and shed off its skin. 

The life span of an adult cicada ranges from just 2 weeks to less than 2 months. (That might explain why the male is really giving an all-out performance for every concert). 

The Arabian Cicada is NOT a public health threat and NOT an agricultural pest. It does not sting or attack humans. It does not inflict economic damage to any crop. So please do not be trigger-happy with your sprayer or aerosol cans and try to eliminate that insect crooner up on the tree. If you can, please allow it to sing its love song and captivate the lady cicada that it has been longing to meet all those long periods of development underground. Let us just enjoy the love calls of this awesome insect! 

Awesome creature! AWESOME CREATOR!