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Cactus Dodger Cicada

Cacama valvata

CommonInsect & Arthropod
Illustration of Cactus Dodger Cicada (Cacama valvata)

The Cactus Dodger is a robust, cryptically colored cicada of the desert Southwest with a green-and-black mottled pattern that blends into desert shrubs. Its extremely loud, pulsing song is one of the characteristic sounds of Sonoran Desert summers. It is among the largest cicadas in the United States.

Habitat
Desert scrub, cactus flats, and dry washes of the Southwest
Diet
Nymphs: root sap of desert shrubs. Adults: plant fluid
How common
Common

Best time to see a Cactus Dodger Cicada

The best time to see a Cactus Dodger Cicada is June, when about 64% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 619 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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