Beameria

Beameria species can be distinguished from other North American cicadas by their notably small body size (approximately 16 mm), significantly smaller than most cicada genera. The genus is further characterized by association with open prairie habitats rather than wooded environments. Beameria venosa exhibits green wings with contrasting body coloration.

Prairie habitats, particularly loess hilltop prairies and sand hill prairies. Associated with open, treeless grassland environments.

North American Great Plains region, documented from Nebraska and Colorado south to Texas and New Mexico. Records exist from sand hill prairies south and west of Peoria, Illinois.

At least one species, Beameria venosa, produces a continuous train of sound pulses at very high frequency. The calling song is audible to humans but may be inaudible to some predators such as birds and lizards.

Beameria venosa is listed as "vulnerable" in Missouri due to restricted occurrence of its prairie habitat. The species has been documented in conservation checklists.

• CicadettaBoth genera contain small cicada species found in prairie habitats; however, Beameria species are distinguished by their extremely small size (around 16 mm) and high-frequency calling song characteristics.
• Fulgoroid planthoppersDue to small size, Beameria species may be mistaken for planthoppers; however, they possess the distinctive calling song and wing venation typical of cicadas.

• cicada
• prairie
• small size
• high frequency call
• North America
• Great Plains
• conservation concern

• BugGuide
• Wikipedia
• GBIF taxonomy match
• iNaturalist taxon
• NCBI Taxonomy
• Catalogue of Life
• North America’s smallest cicada | Beetles In The Bush
• Long-Range Sound Distribution and the Calling Song of the Cicada Beameria venosa (Uhler) (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)