New species discovered along the Hindmarsh River

Adelaide Black Squeaker (Atrapsalta audax) photographed by Malcolm Worthing along the Hindmarsh River.

A new species of cicada known as the Adelaide Black Squeaker (Atrapsalta audax) has been recently described formally by national cicada expert Lindsay Popple and local entomologist Alex Stolarski in the Australian Entomologist scientific journal. Amazingly, the southern-most mainland published records of the species were observed by Malcolm Worthing along the Hindmarsh River. This location was under 7km from the Hindmarsh River Estuary: a local biodiversity hotspot.

Local habitat within Hindmarsh Valley (unpublished) included recently burnt Brown Stringybark (Eucalyptus baxteri) low open woodland to heath with an understorey of tea-tree (Leptospermum continentale and L. myrsinoides), Yacca (Xanthorrhoea semiplana ssp. semiplana) and various low-growing species including Red Parrot-Pea (Dillwynia hispida) and Short Purple-flag (Patersonia fragilis). Male Adelaide Black Squeakers (A. audax) were often observed calling from the sandy substrate or on vegetation below approximately 1.5m (i.e., bases of Grass Tree stems).

For more information on this new species please see A web guide to the cicadas of Australia created by Lindsay Popple or the journal article itself titled A NEW SPECIES OF ATRAPSALTA OWEN AND MOULDS, 2016 (HEMIPTERA: CICADIDAE) FROM SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

Published distribution of the Adelaide Black Squeaker (A. audax) showing the southern-most mainland record within Hindmarsh Valley. Image obtained from: Popple, L.W. and Stolarski, A.M.P. (2024a) A new species of Atrapsalta Owen and Moulds, 2016 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from South Australia. Australian Entomologist, 51(3), 150–160.