ROMSO Cyprus Knowledge Base

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The twin cicade (Tibicen gemellus, Syn.: Lyristes gemellus) belongs to the family of the singcicades (Cicadidae) within the order of the round head cicades (Cicadomorpha).

Physical structure
The species reaches a body length of just over 50 millimeters. It possesses the typical habitus of the Singcicades and is not safely distinguishable from its sister species, the Great or Common Singcicade Tibicen plebejus, from which it was not distinguished until 1988, according to external characteristics (a crypto species). It is slightly larger than this and equally blackishly colored, but with a slightly more extended orange drawing, often covered by white, waxy deposits. At the head, the orange colored drawing elements are more extended, especially in the apex area, the hair on the cheek plates is less dense, but longer. The legs are also colored orange, on the inside partially brown overflow. The femora (legs) carry three thorns, the outermost of which is very small. The wings folded in a roof-like manner over the body in a resting position are crystal clear (hyalin), their base and the vein in the front half are orange, at the base of the hemielytren and their clavus partially black. On the abdomen, the white, wax-covered portion extends less far to the rear. The lid (operculum) of the sound-producing tymbal organ has a longer orange scale and is rounded in the male and angular in the female.

The species is distinguishable in the male sex by the shape of the genus organs. From the very similar species Tibicen plebejus and Tibicen isodol, however, distinguishes above all the song of the males. The singing is noticeably slower than Tibicen plebejus.

Dissemination
The species was first described from Kemalpaşa in the province of Izmir, Turkey. The species can occur sympathetically with Tibicen plebejus in Turkey, sometimes even on the same tree. As far as is known, it is widespread on the Turkish Aegean coast. On the islands, however, only one species of the genus occurs (vicarial or allopatric distribution pattern). Tibicen gemellus is given for the islands in the east of the Aegean, while Tibicen plebejus is found on the western islands and on the Greek mainland. On some central islands (the Cyclades, Karpathos and Crete) none of the species was found. Evidence of Tibicen gemellus is available for Lesbos, Chios, Ikaria, Samos and Rhodes, as well as Cyprus.

Biology
The species lives, as far as is known, on trees and other wood plants of all possible species. Like all singing cicadas, this species is also a xylemsauger. With the help of their trunk, the adult animals pierce the conductor paths of various woody trees and suck the vegetable juice rich in nutrient salts. The underground larvae of the Singcicades suck the plant sap from plant roots. In order to be able to move better under the earth, their forelegs are converted to grave bones. The larva of