Maoricicada iolanthe
This cicada needs our help, and at the very least our attention. It has been slipping away unnoticed and unappreciated for over a century.
George Hudson said in a paper “Probably few groups of insects are so well known and yet so little understood as the Cicadidae.” There is no better example to support this statement than Maoricicada iolanthe. The Iolanthe cicada was first described in 1891 and even back then Hudson (who described this species) stated “It has become rather rare.” Somehow a cicada that ranges from Wellington to the Coromandel Peninsula managed to fade away into obscurity. Many amateur entomologists and cicada enthusiasts have been unable to locate it in recent years (although Olly Hills was able to record its call). Unlike many other Maoricicada species which typically occur at high elevations), M. iolanthe exists at low to montane elevations, and is found in forested regions. It is the smallest of New Zealand’s cicadas.
Ultimately it needs attention, its extreme rarity, obscurity, and the fact it has never been well understood has meant that it has garnered a semi-mythical status among NZ cicada lovers. This lack of attention has culminated in little to no research into its population, ecology, or behaviour. Although there have been no studies into its conservation status it’s plausible that land clearing and development have had an impact on its population and in arguably it could be classified as threatened. This is supported by the fact other than Olly Hills’s recording from 2023, the last sighting was in 1982 and there are currently no observations of this species on iNaturalistNZ. Even in 1891 its increasing rarity was noteworthy. To add to the difficulty of finding this species again, it has a call that is very high pitched meaning many older people cannot hear it.
Check these links for more info on the Iolanthe Cicada in NZ
Wikipedia: Information on Maoricicada iolanthe
images
Click on the image to visit the official observation.
