Aleeta

Aleeta: The Floury Baker Cicada

Imagine a tiny, mysterious creature that has been living among us for centuries, yet remains largely unknown to most of humanity. This is the Aleeta curvicosta, or as it’s more commonly known, the floury baker cicada. Described by Ernst Friedrich Germar in 1834, this unique species has captivated entomologists and nature enthusiasts alike with its distinctive features and complex life cycle.

Distinctive Features of Aleeta

Is it a fairy or a bug? The floury baker cicada is like no other. Its body, covered in white, flour-like filaments, gives it an almost ethereal appearance. These filaments are so fine and delicate that they can be easily rubbed off, making the cicada look more like a tiny fairy than a bug. Can you imagine how enchanting these creatures must appear when they emerge from their slumber?

Life Cycle and Habitat

Where do these fairies live? Found primarily in Australia’s eastern coastline, the floury baker cicada is a solitary creature that prefers to perch on various trees, especially paperbark species. Its emergence from the ground can be witnessed from late November to May, making it a seasonal delight for those who keep an eye out.

Taxonomy and Evolution

Is Aleeta truly unique? In 2003, its taxonomy was reevaluated, leading to the creation of a new monotypic genus Aleeta. This decision was made due to its unique characteristics and genetic distance from other cicada species. The floury baker is a medium-sized cicada with a body length of 2.9 cm, forewings measuring between 3-5.1 cm, and a wingspan of 9-10 cm.

Physical Characteristics

What makes Aleeta stand out? The adult floury baker has a brown body covered in white downy filaments, which can be easily rubbed off. It also features pale midline markings on its pronotum, yellowish legs, dark brown eyes, and strong exoskeletal armour. Females are slightly larger than males, with distinctive colour patterns and ovipositor features.

Behavior and Ecology

How do these fairies communicate? The male call of the floury baker is a hissing-type sound that can be heard at any time of day. It starts as a series of one-second sibilant bursts about a second apart, repeated more rapidly until they become a constant hiss lasting 7-10 seconds. This unique call helps distinguish it from similar species.

Life Cycle and Reproduction

What happens after the fairies emerge? Eggs are laid in a series of slits cut by the mother’s ovipositor in live branches or twigs of their food plants. On average, about sixteen eggs, among a total batch of a few hundred, are laid in each slit. After hatching, the nymphs fall from the branches to seek a crack in the soil where they can burrow, often to a depth of 10-40 cm.

Nymph Stage

How do these fairies grow? Larger species like A. curvicosta are thought to spend 2-8 years underground, during which time they grow and feed through their rostrum on the sap from tree roots. They moult five times before emerging from the ground to shed their final shell.

Adult Stage

What do adult fairies look like? Adults appear from November to May, with a 92-day emergence period in some areas. The nymph grips onto tree bark, swallows air, and redistributes haemolymph before emerging. Adult cicadas live for 2-4 weeks, feeding on sap, mating, and egg laying.

Behavior

What do these fairies do all day? Solitary individuals, perching on branches facing downwards, the floury baker can be found in varied habitats including rainforests and suburbs. Adults are slow fliers with limited aerodynamic power, averaging 4 seconds of flight, three changes in direction, and a moderate reaction distance.

Predation

Who preys on these fairies? Bird predation is common, including wrens, fantails, miners, honeyeaters, butcherbirds, magpie-larks, and crows. Nymphs are preyed on by bearded dragons, while adults are affected by fungus, wasp predators, and parasitic wasps.

Human Interaction

Do people collect these fairies? The shells shed by nymphs are collected and sometimes attached to clothing. Schoolchildren often bring live adults into classrooms, climb trees to collect them, and keep them as pets in shoeboxes. A poem about the cicada’s life cycle appeared in a Catholic Press publication.

The floury baker cicada is more than just a fascinating insect; it’s a symbol of nature’s beauty and complexity. Its unique features and behaviors make it a true wonder of the natural world, reminding us that there are still many mysteries waiting to be discovered in our own backyard.