Step outside on a humid July afternoon in Iowa and the air fills with a sound that seems to come from everywhere at once. That buzzing, whirring chorus belongs to cicadas in Iowa, and the state is home to a surprising variety of them, not just one generic “locust” but 15 distinct species with their own songs, sizes, and habits.
Some spend their days clinging to oak and maple branches in city parks, while others prefer the tallgrass prairies of western Iowa or the sandy river bottoms along the Mississippi and Missouri. This guide walks through each of the 15 species documented in the state, covering what they look like, when they emerge, and how to tell one buzzing call from another. Iowa’s cicadas are also frequently confused with biting insects in Iowa, even though none of these species bite or sting.
Before getting into individual species, it helps to understand the broader groups these cicadas belong to. According to the Insects of Iowa project, the state’s cicada fauna splits into five genera, each with a distinct size range and calling style.
| Genus | Typical Size | Peak Season | Active Time of Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beameria and Cicadettana | Under 1 inch | Early to mid-summer | Daytime, low in grasses |
| Megatibicen | 1.5 to 2.5 inches | Mid to late summer | Dusk and early evening |
| Neotibicen | 1 to 2 inches | Mid-summer through early fall | Daytime, especially afternoon |
| Okanagana | Small to medium | Late spring to early summer | Daytime |
It’s worth noting that all 15 species covered here are annual cicadas, meaning some individuals appear every single year. That distinguishes them from periodical cicadas, the 13- and 17-year Magicicada species tied to specific broods. According to Iowa State University Extension, periodical broods like Brood III do reach into parts of Iowa, and the University of Connecticut’s cicada database tracks that brood’s Iowan range in detail. Emergence timing for these mass events can shift by a week or two depending on soil temperature, as noted in Iowa State’s 2024 periodical cicada emergence report. This article focuses on the 15 annual species Iowans hear singing every summer, not the periodical broods.
Key Insight: If you hear cicadas in Iowa every single summer without a gap, you’re listening to one of the 15 annual species below. Periodical broods only appear once every 13 or 17 years and are far rarer to encounter.
Beameria Venosa: The Grasshopper Cicada
The grasshopper cicada (Beameria venosa) is one of the smallest cicadas found in Iowa, rarely exceeding an inch in length. Its slender body and mottled brown-and-tan coloring help it blend into dry, short grass prairies rather than trees. Unlike the loud buzzing of its larger cousins, this species produces a soft, ticking or clicking call that many people mistake for a grasshopper rather than a cicada.
This species favors upland prairie remnants and pastures in western and central Iowa, areas with sparse, low vegetation rather than dense woodland. It tends to be active during the hottest part of the day, calling from grass stems close to the ground instead of high in trees. Because it depends on intact prairie habitat, it is far less commonly reported than the tree-dwelling species on this list, and it shares that grassland niche with several non-poisonous insects in Iowa that also rely on native grasses.
Pro Tip: Listen close to the ground in remnant prairie patches rather than scanning tree canopies. The grasshopper cicada’s quiet clicking call is easy to miss if you’re only listening for the loud buzz of larger species.
Cicadettana Calliope Calliope: The Grassland Cicada
The grassland cicada (Cicadettana calliope calliope) is another small prairie specialist, similar in size to the grasshopper cicada but with a higher-pitched, more continuous song. It has a slim body, dark markings across the thorax, and translucent wings that catch light when it flies short distances between grass stems. Its call is often described as a thin, buzzing whine rather than the throaty drone associated with the larger Megatibicen species.
Populations in Iowa are concentrated in remaining tallgrass and mixed-grass prairie fragments, many of which have shrunk dramatically since statehood. Because so little of Iowa’s original prairie remains intact, cicada watchers sometimes find this species alongside other grassland specialists tracked on lists of endangered animals in Iowa, even though the cicada itself isn’t formally listed as threatened. Early to mid-summer is the best window to hear it, generally before the deeper-voiced Megatibicen species take over the soundscape in late July.
Megatibicen Grossus: A Robust Dusk-Singing Cicada
Among the larger cicadas recorded in Iowa, Megatibicen grossus stands out for its stocky build and deep, resonant call that carries well after sunset. Adults typically show the olive-green and black mottling common across the Megatibicen genus, with a body length that can approach two inches. Its song is a sustained, pulsing drone rather than the sharper, more mechanical buzz produced by smaller Neotibicen species.
This species tends to favor wooded edges near rivers and streams, where it clings to bark on maples, cottonwoods, and oaks. Because large-bodied cicadas like this one are a favorite prey item for ground-nesting predatory wasps, anyone watching for this species in a backyard might also notice the wasps in Iowa known as cicada killers patrolling nearby. Its calling period runs mainly through late July and August, overlapping heavily with several other Megatibicen species covered further down this list.
Megatibicen Dealbatus: The Plains Cicada
The plains cicada (Megatibicen dealbatus) is a pale, dusty-looking species named for the whitish bloom that covers parts of its body, giving it a grayish cast compared to the greener Megatibicen species. It produces a loud, whirring buzz that rises and falls in intensity, often heard through the heat of a late-summer afternoon. Adults measure roughly an inch and a half long, with wide, translucent wings folded tent-like over the abdomen.
This species has a broad range across the central and southern Great Plains, with populations extending from Iowa’s western prairies down through Kansas and into insects found in Texas, where it’s a familiar sound in open grasslands and scattered woodlands. In Iowa, it tends to favor drier, more open habitats than the state’s forest-dwelling cicadas. Peak activity generally runs from mid-July through late August.
Megatibicen Dorsatus: The Bush Cicada
Often cited as one of North America’s largest cicadas, the bush cicada (Megatibicen dorsatus) can measure over two inches from head to wingtip. Its body is stout and greenish-brown, and its song is famous for being one of the loudest of any cicada in the Midwest, a rolling, mechanical buzz that can be heard from a considerable distance. This species is also sometimes called the giant grassland cicada, a nod to its preference for open prairie and grassland habitat rather than dense forest.
In Iowa, it turns up most often in western prairie remnants and along grassy roadside corridors, calling from low shrubs, tall grasses, or fence posts rather than high tree canopies. Its chorus tends to peak in the hour before and after sunset, a time when insect-eating bats in Iowa also become active and take advantage of the abundant flying insects. Listen for it from late July into early September.
Pro Tip: Head to an open prairie or grassland at dusk during late summer for the best chance of hearing the bush cicada’s booming chorus, which is easiest to detect just as the light starts to fade.
Megatibicen Pronotalis Pronotalis: A Late-Summer Prairie Singer
Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis is a mid-to-large cicada closely related to the plains and bush cicadas, sharing the same general olive-brown coloring but with subtle differences in wing venation and pronotum shape that separate it taxonomically. Its call is a steady, droning buzz that blends easily into the broader late-summer chorus produced by other Megatibicen species active during the same weeks.
This subspecies favors grassland and open woodland edges across the central and western parts of the state, often overlapping with habitat used by Megatibicen dealbatus and Megatibicen dorsatus. Because so many large cicada species look and sound similar at a distance, entomologists studying Iowa’s broader insect diversity, cataloged alongside other different types of insects across the state, often rely on close examination of wing veins and coloring patterns to confirm identification. Its active period generally spans late July through late August.
Megatibicen Pronotalis Walkeri: Walker’s Cicada
The second Iowa subspecies in this complex, Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri, is commonly referred to as Walker’s cicada. It shares the stocky build and greenish-tan coloring typical of the genus but tends to show slightly different markings across the thorax compared to the nominate subspecies. Its buzzing call runs at a similar pitch and duration to its close relatives, making side-by-side comparison with a recording the most reliable way to separate the two by ear.
Walker’s cicada has a range that stretches well beyond Iowa’s borders, with documented populations across parts of the Midwest and into neighboring states, including regions covered in guides to insects in Ohio. In Iowa, it appears most often in wooded river valleys and mixed prairie-woodland transition zones. Expect to hear it calling from midsummer into early fall, generally overlapping with the broader Megatibicen chorus.
Neotibicen Canicularis: The Dog-Day Cicada
Few sounds say “Iowa summer” quite like the dog-day cicada (Neotibicen canicularis), named for its habit of calling during the hottest, most humid days of the season. It’s a medium-sized cicada with dark brown and green mottling and a call that starts as a low buzz before building into a sustained, high-pitched whine. It’s typically the earliest of the Neotibicen species to start singing each year, sometimes as early as late June in warmer parts of the state.
This species favors deciduous trees in both urban neighborhoods and forest edges, making it one of the most commonly heard cicadas for people who live in Iowa’s towns and cities rather than rural prairie. Despite the startling volume of its call, it poses no danger to people or pets and is often confused with far less common insects listed among insects that bite. Peak calling generally runs from early July through August.
Common Mistake: Many people assume the dog-day cicada’s loud call means a swarm or infestation, but individual annual cicadas like this one are solitary and completely harmless to humans, gardens, and pets.
Neotibicen Linnei: Linne’s Cicada
Linne’s cicada (Neotibicen linnei) closely resembles the dog-day cicada in size and coloring, which makes call recognition the most reliable way to tell them apart. Its song has a more pulsing, rhythmic quality, rising and falling in distinct waves rather than the steady drone typical of Neotibicen canicularis. Adults are roughly an inch and a quarter long, with the same brown-and-green camouflage pattern common across the genus.
This species is well documented in eastern Iowa, where local coverage from The Gazette has tracked shifting cicada activity in the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area in recent summers. It tends to favor mature deciduous trees, particularly oaks and maples, in both urban and wooded settings, similar habitat to what supports many caterpillars in Iowa that also depend on hardwood canopy. Look and listen for it from mid-July through early September.
Neotibicen Lyricen Lyricen: The Lyric Cicada
The lyric cicada (Neotibicen lyricen lyricen) earns its musical name from a call that’s often described as smoother and more melodic than the harsher buzz of its Neotibicen relatives. It has a broader body than the dog-day cicada, with darker green and black patterning, and its song builds gradually into a rich, sustained hum rather than a sharp whine. Many Iowans describe its call as the most pleasant-sounding of the state’s common cicadas.
This species prefers wooded habitats with a mix of oak, hickory, and maple, and it’s frequently heard calling from mid-canopy branches during the warmest part of the afternoon. It shares its flowering-tree habitat with a wide range of pollinators, including many of the butterflies in Iowa that visit the same woodland edges throughout summer. Its calling season generally runs from mid-July into September.
Neotibicen Pruinosus Pruinosus: The Scissor-Grinder Cicada
The scissor-grinder cicada (Neotibicen pruinosus pruinosus) gets its nickname from a distinctive rising-and-falling call that resembles the sound of a pair of scissors being sharpened on a grinding wheel. It’s a large, robust cicada with a whitish, powdery bloom on parts of its body, which explains the “pruinosus” part of its scientific name. Adults commonly measure over an inch and a half and are frequently seen resting on tree trunks at eye level.
Key identification features include:
- A rhythmic, pulsing “reer-reer-reer” call that speeds up before trailing off
- A dusty, pale coating over the thorax and abdomen
- A preference for shade trees in both wooded areas and residential neighborhoods
- Peak activity during late afternoon and early evening hours
This species is completely harmless despite its loud, almost mechanical call, unlike some of the truly defensive stinging insects in Iowa people worry about encountering in late summer. It calls from July through September and is among the most frequently reported cicadas in Iowa’s cities and suburbs.
Neotibicen Tibicen Tibicen: The Morning Cicada
Also known as the swamp cicada in parts of its range, Neotibicen tibicen tibicen earns the name “morning cicada” for its habit of beginning its call earlier in the day than many related species. It has a dark, almost black body with green highlights and produces a loud, buzzing call that can start well before the midday heat sets in. This early-calling behavior helps distinguish it from species that wait until the hottest hours of the afternoon.
In Iowa, it’s most often found near wetter habitats, including riverbanks, floodplain forests, and areas close to marshes or ponds. That moisture-loving habitat overlaps with territory used by many frogs in Iowa, which occasionally prey on cicadas that fly too close to the water’s edge. Its calling period generally spans mid-July through late September, making it one of the longer-lasting choruses among Iowa’s annual cicadas.
Okanagana Balli: Ball’s Cicada
Ball’s cicada (Okanagana balli) represents a genus that behaves quite differently from the Megatibicen and Neotibicen species covered above. It’s a smaller, earlier-emerging cicada, typically active in late spring rather than the heart of summer, with a shorter, sharper buzzing call than the drawn-out drones of larger species. Its coloring tends toward dark brown and black with lighter wing veining.
The Okanagana genus as a whole is far more diverse in the western United States and reaches into parts of insects found in Canada, with Iowa representing something closer to the eastern edge of the genus’s range. Because of this, Ball’s cicada is reported far less frequently in the state than the common Neotibicen species, and sightings tend to concentrate in western Iowa’s prairie remnants. Its brief calling window generally falls between late May and mid-June.
Okanagana Rimosa Rimosa: Say’s Cicada
Say’s cicada (Okanagana rimosa rimosa) is named for pioneering American entomologist Thomas Say and holds a curious place in Midwest cicada history. Some populations of this species show localized, near-synchronous emergences that once led early naturalists to mistake it for a true periodical cicada, a mix-up documented in a detailed look at the phenomenon from The Prairie Ecologist. In reality, it’s an annual species, though its clustered emergence patterns can create the impression of a rarer event.
Important Note: Despite historical confusion, Say’s cicada is not a true periodical species. Its occasional synchronized local emergences simply resemble the pattern seen in genuinely periodical Magicicada broods.
Physically, it has a compact body with dark, reddish-brown coloring and a sharp, buzzing call delivered in short bursts rather than a continuous drone. It favors dry, open habitats similar to those used by other grassland-dwelling arthropods, including many spiders in Iowa that hunt along the same prairie edges. Look for it calling in late spring through early summer.
Okanagana Synodica Synodica: A Rare Prairie Cicada
Okanagana synodica synodica is among the least frequently documented cicadas on this list, with a range that only marginally reaches into Iowa’s prairie regions. It shares the compact body plan and early-season timing typical of the Okanagana genus, with dark coloring and a short, sharp call that’s easy to overlook amid the louder choruses produced by larger species later in summer.
Because sightings are so limited, detailed information about its exact distribution and population trends within Iowa remains sparse compared to the state’s more common cicadas. What is known suggests it favors the same short-grass and mixed-grass prairie habitat used by other rare Okanagana species, and like many small, fast-flying insects, it’s easy to mistake for a variety of unrelated insects that fly through open grassland in late spring. Anyone who records a confirmed sighting is contributing genuinely useful data to a species that remains poorly studied in the state.
Iowa’s 15 cicada species cover an unusual amount of ground, from tiny grassland singers barely an inch long to booming dusk-callers that rank among the largest cicadas in North America. Learning to separate them by sound takes practice, but paying attention to when and where each species calls, whether that’s a shaded backyard maple at noon or an open prairie at dusk, makes identification far more manageable. Gardeners who want practical advice on living alongside these harmless insects can find useful tips in Wallace’s Garden Center’s guide to coping with cicadas.
Pro Tip: Recording a cicada’s call on a smartphone and comparing the pitch, rhythm, and duration against known species descriptions is often faster and more reliable than trying to spot the insect itself in dense foliage.
For readers curious about how Iowa’s insect diversity compares elsewhere, similar identification guides covering insects in New York highlight just how much regional variation exists even among closely related cicada species across the country.