The waning of the day, usually a silent hour in temperate climes, is in Borneo marked by the commencement of a concert of noisy cicadas, who in legions fill the air with their deafening and varied clamour. One species {Pomponia imperatoria; West.), which the Malays have named "kriang pokul anam,"or the "six o'clock cicada," is a giant; one of the specimens we got measured nearly 71/2 inches across the wings. It begins at sunset, and the noise it makes is not unlike the braying of an ass in high treble, and can be heard at a distance of many hundred yards.
58. POMPONIA IMPERATORIA, Westwood.
J. A. S. B. liii, 2) 229, no. 67.
Luteous-fulvous : head and dorsum of thorax with very many black spots varying in size and form ; mesonotum with a trifid mark : sides of pronotum emarginate and angulate in the middle : abdomen brunneous, sides paler, a spot on both sides on each segment, black : wings yellowish hyaline, veins fulvous : subapical transverse veins on the tegmina, clouded fuscous, and seven spots towards the margin, fuscous (Westw.)
67. POMPONIA IMPERATORIA.
Cicada imperatoria, Westwood, Arc. Ent. ii, p. 14, t. 51, (1843) : Walker, List Hom. B. M. i, p. 47: J. L. S. Zool. i, p. 83 (1856) : ibid, x, p. 84 (1867).
Pomponia imperatoria, Stål, Berl. Ent. Zeitschr. x, p. 171 (1866).
A very large species, yellow luteous, body long 88, exp. teg. 209 millims.
Reported from Nepál.
1. Pomponia imperatoria. (Tab. IX., fig. 15, a, b.)
Cicada imperatoria, Westwood, Arcan. Ent. vol. i. p. 13, t. 51 (1842).
Dundubia imperatoria, Walk. List Hom. i. p. 47, n. 1 (1850).
Pomponia imperatoria, Stål, Berl. Ent. Zeit. x. p. 171 (1866) ; Atkins. J. A. S. Beng. vol. liii. p. 229, n. 67 (1885).
Cicada adusta, Walk. List Hom. i. p. 102, n. 1 (1850).
Body above brownish-ochraceous, in some specimens castaneous. Head with a central longitudinal spot to front, the area of the ocelli, a transverse spot behind eyes, and a spot at anterior angles of vertex, black. Pronotum with two central longitudinal linear fasciae not extending beyond centre–a central spot at the posterior margin–and tbe furrows black ; posterior margin greenish, with two black spots on each side. Mesonotum with two obconical central spots, from tbe junction of which a longitudinal fascia extends to posterior margin, four spots in transverse series at base, a spot on each lateral discal area, and sometimes some small spots at anterior margin black. Abdomen with the posterior margins of the abdominal segments narrowly black. Body beneath and legs brownish-ochraceous ; transverse striations and apex of face, anterior tibiae, bases and apical thirds of intermediate tibiae, anterior and intermediate tarsi and apex of rostrum, black.
Tegmina and wings pale hyaline, the venation ochraceous. Tegmina with the costal membrane and basal cell brownish or ochraceous, the claval area ochraceous or sanguineous ; the transverse veins at tbe bases of the second, third, fifth, and seventh apical areas infuscated and a series of fuscous marginal spots at the apices of the longitudinal veins to apical areas. Wings with the base of claval area ochraceous or sanguineous ; outer margin of claval area ochraceous.
Long. excl. tegm. ♂, 46 to 68 millim. ; ♀ , 41 to 60 millim. Exp. tegm.♂, 137 to 180 millim. ;♀, 145 to 216 millim.
Hab.–Malay Peninsula : Province Wellesley (coll. Dist.) ; Perak (Townsend & Doherty–coll. Dist.). Java (Argent–Brit. Mus.). Borneo : Pontianak (Bruss. Mus.) ; Sarawak (Genoa Mus.) ; Sandakan (Pryer–coll. Dist.) ; Kina Balu Mt. (Whitehead–coll. Dist.).
This is a most variable species, both as regards size and markings. The largest specimen I have yet seen is a female in my own collection from Perak, whose tegmina reach an expansion of 216 millim. In some of the smaller specimens the body is darker, and the markings to same and the spotting of the tegmina very indistinct. There almost seem to be two races of this species, one very much smaller and somewhat less prominently marked than the other.
As I have elsewhere recorded, I captured this fine species myself, not unfrequently, when sojourning in the Malay Peninsula. It often frequented the dining-room, and on holding it between the fingers its stridulation caused a thrill through the nerves of the arm.*
* It is probably this species described by Mr. Helms in Borneo :–" A green creatnre, with transparent wings a couple of inches long, sent forth piercing sounds which may be heard a mile away. It begins with a strong trumpet-note, which has been likened to the sharpening of a steel knife on a grindstone, but infinitely more penetrating. This note is very prolonged, and is followed rapidly by others, gradually getting fainter, at last dying away, when it begins anew with the first note, and so continues, filling the stillness of the night with its noisy trumpeting."–L. V. Helms, ' Pioneering in the Far East,' p. 141-2.
45. Pomponia imperatoria, Westw.
Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ix. p. 118 (1842).
Dist. Mon. Orient. Cicad.p. 69, t. ix. f. 15, a, b (1890).
Id. Syn. Cat. Hom. p. 67 (1906).
From a large series in the Sarawak Museum, it seems that this handsome Cicada is fairly common in Sarawak throughout the year. The Museum collection possesses specimens taken at Kuching, Kapit, Mt. Matang and Mt. Penrissen ; and the only two months in which these specimens were not taken, are January and October ; so that we may safely suppose that the insect is to be taken all the year round. Besides the above localities it has been recorded from : Sandakan (Indian Mus. and Pryer–coll. Distant) ; Kina Balu (Whitehead–coll. Distant) : Bidi (coll. C. J. Brooks) ; Pontianak (Brussells Mus.).
General distribution : Malaya.
Malacca, Province Wellesley, Perak, Java and Sumatra.
Dr. O. Beccari writes of this insect thus:–"One species (Pomponia imperatoria, Westw.), which the Malays have named " kriang † pokul anam" or "the six o'clock Cicada," is a giant; one of the specimens we got measured nearly 71/2 inches across the wings. It begins at sunset and the noise it makes is not unlike the braying of an ass in high treble, and can be heard at a distance of many hundred yards." The largest specimen, a male, in the Sarawak Museum is just short of 8 inches ; and Mr. Distant records a female 216 mm., (or 81/2inches) across, from Perak.
I have heard it myself in many places in Sarawak, beginning as a rule a little before 6 p.m., and I can confirm Dr. Beccari's description of its song.
† kriangis the Sarawak-Malay word for Cicada. The usual Malay word is bringin.
Cicada imperatoria, W. Luteo-fulva, capite et thoracis dorso maculis numerosis (magnitudine et formâ variis) nigris, mesothoraceque figurâ trifidâ notatis : pronoti lateribus in medio emarginatis ; abdomine brunneo lateribus pallidioribus, maculâ in singulo segmento utrinque nigrâ; alis flavido-hyalinis venis fulvis ; anticarum venis transversis subapicalibus fusco nebulosis, maculisque septem versus marginem fuscis. Long. corp. unc. 31/8. Expans. alar. unc. 81/4.
Obs. Gigas in genere. Affinis C. fuscae, Oliv., Stoll., Cig., fig. 36.
Hab. East Indies and the Indian Islands. Mus. Hope, Westwood, &c.
Turaés (Basa Inggris: empress cicada) (Megapomponia imperatoria) mangrupa tonggérét badag nu sumebar di Asia Tenggara. Turaés hirup di wewengkon iklim sedeng jeung tropis, kawentar ku sorana anu nongtoréng. Turaés bisa disebut spésiés tonggérét pangbadagna kalawan panjang hulu jeung saawak-awakna 7 cm (2.8 in) jeung rubak jangjang 18–20 cm (7–8 in).[1][2]
Turaés (Basa Inggris: empress cicada) (Megapomponia imperatoria) mangrupa tonggérét badag nu sumebar di Asia Tenggara. Turaés hirup di wewengkon iklim sedeng jeung tropis, kawentar ku sorana anu nongtoréng. Turaés bisa disebut spésiés tonggérét pangbadagna kalawan panjang hulu jeung saawak-awakna 7 cm (2.8 in) jeung rubak jangjang 18–20 cm (7–8 in).
The empress cicada (Megapomponia imperatoria) is a species of cicada from Southeast Asia. It is the largest species of cicada with a head-body length of about 7 cm (2.8 in) and a wingspan of 18–20 cm (7–8 in).[1][2]
The empress cicada (Megapomponia imperatoria) is a species of cicada from Southeast Asia. It is the largest species of cicada with a head-body length of about 7 cm (2.8 in) and a wingspan of 18–20 cm (7–8 in).
La cigale Megapomponia imperatoria est une espèce d'insecte de l'ordre des hémiptères, de la famille des Cicadidae, de la sous-famille des Cicadinae et du genre Megapomponia[1].
La cigale Megapomponia imperatoria se rencontre en Malaisie[1].
Megapomponia imperatoria possède un corps de plus de 70 mm et présente une envergure ailes déployées de plus de 200 mm[2]
Le dessous du corps est brun ocre voire châtaigne[3].
La tête présente à l'avant une tache centrale longitudinale noire, une tache transversale noire derrière les yeux et une tache noire aux angles antérieurs du vertex. Le pronotum présente deux bandes linéaire centrales longitudinales noires qui ne s'étendent pas au-delà de son centre et un point noir au centre du bord postérieur. Le bord postérieur est verdâtre avec deux points noirs de chaque côté. Le mesonotum présente deux points centraux noirs de forme obconique à la jonction desquels une bande noire longitudinale s'étend jusqu'au bord postérieur, une série transverse de quatre points noirs à sa base, un point noir sur chaque zone discale latérale et parfois de petits points noirs sur le bord antérieur. L'abdomen présente des bords postérieurs de segments abdominaux finement marqués de noir[3].
Les pattes sont brun ocre avec des stries noires transverses. Les tibias des pattes antérieures sont noirs. Les tibias des pattes intermédiaires sont noirs de la base au tiers apical. Les tarses des pattes antérieures et intermédiaires sont noirs. L'apex du rostre est noir[3].
Les élytres et les ailes sont pâles et hyalines avec les nervures ocres. La membrane costale et la cellule basale des élytres sont brunâtre ou ocre. La zone clavale est ocre ou sanguine. Les veines transversales à la base des deuxième, troisième, cinquième et septième zones apicales sont sombres et une série de points marginaux sont présents aux sommets des veines longitudinales. Les ailes ont la base de la région clavale ocre ou rougeâtre[3].
L'espèce a été décrite par le zoologiste britannique John Obadiah Westwood en 1842 sous le protonyme Cicada imperatoria[4] et transférée dans le genre Megapomponia par l'entomologiste français Michel Boulard en 2005[5].
Megapomponia imperatoria est similaire à Megapomponia merula dont elle se distingue par un opercule qui n'est pas noir, plus grand et moins transverse et par la présence de marques sur le bord postérieur du pronotum[6].
La cigale Megapomponia imperatoria est une espèce d'insecte de l'ordre des hémiptères, de la famille des Cicadidae, de la sous-famille des Cicadinae et du genre Megapomponia.
