Tymbal-organ
Guides
Diceroprocta knighti
Dusty Flag-Bearer
Diceroprocta knighti is a cicada species in the family Cicadidae, distributed across the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Like other members of its genus, it is an annual cicada with a multi-year nymphal stage spent underground feeding on tree and shrub roots. Adults emerge during summer months, with males producing species-specific acoustic signals to attract females. The species is part of the diverse cicada fauna of the Sonoran Desert region, where it co-occurs with related congeners at different elevations.
cicadaDiceroproctaSonoran-Desertannual-cicadaHemipteraCicadidaeacoustic-communicationroot-feeding-nymphssummer-emergencesouthwestern-North-Americaxylem-feederdesert-arthropodinsect-songmulti-year-life-cycletymbal-organmonsoon-associated-emergenceCicadinaeFidicininiDavis-1917Dusty-Flag-BearerArizonaCaliforniaBaja-CaliforniaSinaloaSonoraMexicoUnited-Statesarthropodinsecttrue-bugAuchenorrhynchaCicadomorphaCicadoideaGuyalninaEuchaetes egle
Milkweed Tussock Moth, Milkweed Tiger Moth
Euchaetes egle is a tiger moth in the family Erebidae, commonly known as the milkweed tussock moth or milkweed tiger moth. The species is notable for its gregarious caterpillars that feed on milkweeds and dogbane, sequestering cardiac glycosides from their host plants for chemical defense. Adults produce ultrasonic clicks from tymbal organs to warn bats of their unpalatability, representing a rare case of acoustic aposematism. The species occurs across eastern North America with one generation annually in northern regions and two or more in southern areas.