Niini Cicada - Niini Cicada

It is an insect belonging to the order Hemiptera, suborder Homoptera, family Cicadidae. Its body length is 20-26 mm, and the wing tip is 32-38 mm. Its body is slightly flattened, and its head and thorax are greenish brown with black markings. The dorsal side of the pronotum spreads out in a triangular shape. Its forewings have large grey-brown cloud-like markings, and its hindwings are black except for the transparent margins. It is distributed from Hokkaido to the Ryukyu Islands, and is commonly seen in various places, and is also known in the Korean Peninsula, mainland China, and Taiwan. It appears in July and August, and makes a chirping sound. Its generation is estimated to be four years. Its molted exuvia is nearly spherical, and its surface is covered with mud. Four other species are known in Japan, including P. kuroiwae and P. yayeyamana , all of which are endemic to the Ryukyu Islands. Tsushima is known for a unique cicada, Suisha coreana , which appears in late autumn.

[Masami Hayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

昆虫綱半翅目(はんしもく)同翅亜目セミ科Cicadidaeに属する昆虫。体長20～26ミリメートル、同翅端まで32～38ミリメートル。体はやや扁平(へんぺい)で、頭部、胸部は緑褐色に黒色紋がある。前胸背側方は三角形状に広がる。前翅には灰褐色の大きな雲状紋があり、後翅は透明な周縁部を除き黒色。北海道から琉球諸島(りゅうきゅうしょとう)にかけて分布し、各地に普通にみられ、朝鮮半島、中国大陸、台湾にも知られる。7～8月に出現し、チーと鳴く。1世代は4年と推定される。脱皮殻は球形に近く、表面は泥で覆われる。日本にはほかに、クロイワニイニイP. kuroiwae、ヤエヤマニイニイP. yayeyamanaなど4種が知られ、いずれも南西諸島固有種である。対馬(つしま)には秋遅くに出現する独特なセミ、チョウセンケナガニイニイSuisha coreanaが知られる。

［林　正美］

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