About Thopha sessiliba Distant, 1892
Commonly called the northern double drummer, Thopha sessiliba Distant, 1892 is a large species of Australian cicada. It is the second largest cicada species in Australia, only slightly smaller than the largest species, the double drummer. On average, both male and female northern double drummers measure 4.56 cm in length, and their thorax has a diameter of 1.85 cm. This species has light brown eyes with a purple tinge, and a dark red-brown postclypeus. Its head shows variable colouration, but is never black like the head of the double drummer. The thorax is brown, marked with lighter golden-brown patterns; the mesonotum is brown with a purple tinge. The underside of the thorax is red-brown and covered in fine, silvery, velvety hairs. The abdomen is dark brown; the top and underside of its first and second segments are covered with grey hairs, and it also has a whitish pregenital band of hair. The wings are transparent (vitreous) with light brown veins. The legs are brown and bear fine, grey, velvety hairs. Adult northern double drummer cicadas emerge starting in September and can be seen through the end of April, reaching their peak abundance in December and January. This species is distributed from Gladstone in southeast Queensland north to Cape York and Mount Isa, extends across eastern and northern Northern Territory, and reaches into northern Western Australia, ranging across the Kimberley and through Broome to Mundiwindi. It occurs on eucalyptus trees, particularly smooth-barked species like the Central Australian ghost gum, Corymbia aparrerinja.
