Birrima castanea

Birrima castanea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Auchenorrhyncha
Family:	Cicadidae
Genus:	Birrima
Species:	B. castanea
Binomial name
Birrima castanea (Goding & Froggatt, 1904) [1] [2]
Synonyms
Melampsalta castaneaGoding & Froggatt, 1904 Melampsalta fulvaGoding & Froggatt, 1904 Melampsalta flavaGoding & Froggatt, 1904 Birrima montrouzieriDistant, 1906

Birrima castanea is a species of cicada, also known as the red tree-ticker, in the true cicada family, Cicadettinae subfamily and Cicadettini tribe. It is endemic to Australia. It was described in 1904 by entomologists Frederic Webster Goding and Walter Wilson Froggatt. ^{[1] [2]}

Description

The length of the forewing is 25–34 mm. ^[3]

Distribution and habitat

The species is found in the warm temperate coastal areas of eastern Australia, from Cooloola National Park in south-eastern Queensland, southwards to Greater Sydney in New South Wales. The associated habitat is tall, wet sclerophyll forest, the margins of subtropical rainforest and riparian vegetation. ^{[2] [3]}

Behaviour

Adults may be heard from September to February, clinging to trees, shrubs and artificial structures, or flying about actively, uttering slow, repeated zeeeet calls. ^[3]

References

1. Goding, FW; Froggatt, WW (1904). "Monograph of the Australian Cicadidae". Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales. 29 (3): 561–670 [637].
2. "Species Birrima castanea (Goding & Froggatt, 1904)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2025. Retrieved 2025-09-26.
3. L.W. Popple (2025). "Red Tree-ticker Birrima castanea (Goding and Froggatt, 1904)". A web guide to the cicadas of Australia. Popple Creative Industries. Retrieved 2025-09-26.