Nii-nii Cicada (Planopleura kaempferi) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

The nii-nii cicada is a small, chunky cicada from East Asia whose mottled brown wings blend in almost perfectly with tree bark. It is one of the first cicadas to sing in early summer in Japan and Korea. It does not live in the United States.

Appearance

Appearance: About 0.8–1 in (20–24 mm) long, broad and rounded, with a whitish dusting when alive. The thorax has a W-shaped orange or yellow-green mark, the forewings are mottled brown, and the hindwings are dark with clear edges.
Voice: A long, high, buzzing trill that rises and falls, loudest in the morning and evening; it may also sing at night near lights.

Look-alikes

Large brown cicadaGraptopsaltria nigrofuscata

The large brown cicada is about 1.5–2 times bigger and darker overall, and its song is very different.

Why they get mixed upBoth have patterned, non-transparent wings, which is unusual among cicadas in the region.

Suisha coreana

This hairy cicada sings in late summer and fall, after the nii-nii cicada has finished, and has orange on the inner part of its hindwings.

Why they get mixed upSimilar size, hairy body, and bark-like pattern.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Broadleaf woods
City parks and street trees
Range: Japan (Hokkaido south to the northern Ryukyus), the Korean Peninsula, Taiwan, and China. It is not found in North America.
Preferred conditions: In Japan it lives in open broadleaf woods and urban greenery, but the nymphs need moist soil, so it is scarce in dry parks.

Behavior

Activity: In Japan adults appear from late June through July, thin out in August, and are rare by September. Held in the hand, it pumps its abdomen rapidly.

Life cycle

Larva: Nymphs live underground. They climb only a short way up a trunk to molt, and the small, round shed skins are usually caked with mud, which makes them easy to tell from other cicadas' skins.

Name and classification

About the name: Long known as Platypleura kaempferi, it was moved to the new genus Planopleura in 2024. The species name honors Engelbert Kaempfer, a German physician who stayed at Dejima in Nagasaki during Japan's Edo period.