Native insects:

Insights into the onomatopoeic world of insects

Insect expert Georg Friebe from "inatura" organized the cicada conference in Dornbirn together with Werner Holzinger.

(Bild: Mathis Fotografie)

Experts from all over Central Europe recently met at the Cicada Conference in Dornbirn. There are around 360 different species of these insects in Vorarlberg. Unfortunately, many are endangered.

For some it is music, for others it is disturbing noise: the "song" of the cicadas. They are mainly associated with vacations in the Mediterranean region. These insects are true masters of acoustic art. Their "song" tells stories of reproduction, territorial battles and the cycle of life. "In addition to the so-called singing cicadas, there are also smaller representatives of this group of animals that are not conspicuous for their sound production, some of which are also native to Vorarlberg," reports Georg Friebe from "inatura" in Dornbirn.

The "Central European Cicada Conference" was recently held in the trade fair city, attended by numerous experts from a total of nine different countries. The program included specialist lectures and three excursions to research the cicada fauna of Vorarlberg. In this context, a new species was even recorded for the first time in Austria. In addition, several rare or difficult-to-detect species were found. The results will be published at a later date, but there is still a lot of research work to be done, says Friebe.

Werner Holzinger from ÖkoTeam Graz has been working intensively on the cicadas of Vorarlberg in recent years.

(Bild: Bergauer Rubina)

 He organized the conference together with Werner Holzinger from ÖkoTeam Graz. Holzinger has been working intensively on the cicadas of Vorarlberg over the past few years. "The results of this research are currently being prepared for printing as a Red List," emphasizes Friebe. Apart from earlier stray finds, this will be the first modern systematic survey of the occurrence of these insects in Vorarlberg, according to the "inatura" expert.

Closely related to bugs and aphids
In Ländle, it is primarily crickets and grasshoppers that are heard during the warm season. However, they differ significantly from cicadas, as Holzinger explains: "Cicadas are a group of insects that are closely related to bugs and aphids." They also have a rather compact appearance with large, transparent wings that are often folded into a "roof" over the body, while crickets have a slimmer shape as well as longer antennae and large hind legs. "The song of cicadas is produced by the vibration of their membranes, which are called tymbals. Crickets, on the other hand, rub their wings together - a process known as stridulation," explains the biologist.

Cicadas are a group of insects closely related to bugs and aphids. They are therefore very different from grasshoppers and crickets, which are mainly heard in Vorarlberg during the warmer months of the year.

Werner Holzinger, ÖkoTeam Graz

The songs are therefore different - both in terms of their production and their timbre. According to the experts, there is only one "musical" species in Vorarlberg: the mountain singing cicada is found on the warmer edges of the Rhine Valley.

Many cicada species are highly endangered
The other native cicada species are quieter and therefore less conspicuous to the layman. "Many of them are now highly endangered inhabitants of wet meadows, dry grasslands and moors," emphasizes Holzinger. The insects are important bioindicators and act as food for a variety of other animals. Cicadas themselves feed mainly on plant juices. They pierce the plant parts with their specialized mouthparts and suck up the liquid inside. This sap consists of water and sugar as well as other nutrients. The animals often ingest significantly more sugar than they can utilize. The excess is excreted by the cicadas and often absorbed by other insects as so-called honeydew. "In Italy, for example, there is the blue-winged cicada, whose honeydew is collected by bees. This is then used to make cicada honey, a specialty."

The mountain singing cicada is the only "singer" in the country

(Bild: stock.adobe.com/Anton)

The blue-winged cicada is the raw material supplier for cicada honey

(Bild: insects.ch)

The vine cicada introduced from North America

(Bild: Ökoteam Graz)

Most plants are not seriously damaged by the insects. However, a few cicada species are considered pests for certain crops as they can transmit diseases. "These include, for example, the vine cicada, which was introduced from America and can cause serious damage to vines," says Holzinger. The vine cicada is an example of a worrying trend: while new species are regularly introduced and can establish themselves due to changes in climatic conditions, among other things, native representatives are increasingly coming under pressure.