Oxypleura calypso
| Oxypleura calypso | |
|---|---|
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Arthropoda |
| Class: | Insecta |
| Order: | Hemiptera |
| Suborder: | Auchenorrhyncha |
| Family: | Cicadidae |
| Genus: | Oxypleura |
| Species: | O. calypso
|
| Binomial name | |
| Oxypleura calypso | |
Oxypleura calypso, also known as the Christmas Island cicada, is a species of cicada in the true cicada family. It is endemic to Christmas Island, an Australian external territory in the Indian Ocean. It was described in 1889 by English entomologist William Forsell Kirby.[1][2]
Description
The length of the forewing is 33–38 mm.[3]
Distribution and habitat
The species is known only from Christmas Island, where its habitat is tropical rainforest.[3][2]
Behaviour
Adults have been heard from August to April, clinging to the trunks of the trees, uttering loud, rich, modulated calls.[3]
References
- ^ a b Kirby, WF (1889). "On the insects (exclusive of Coleoptera and Lepidoptera) of Christmas Island". Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London. 1888: 546–555 [553].
- ^ a b c "Species Oxypleura calypso Kirby, 1889". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ^ a b c L.W. Popple (2025). "Christmas Island Cicada Oxypleura calypso (Kirby, 1889)". A web guide to the cicadas of Australia. Popple Creative Industries. Retrieved 2025-09-04.