Great Mullein Weevil vs African Cicada

Side-by-side species comparison

Attribute Great Mullein Weevil African Cicada
Scientific Name Cionus thapsus Platypleura hirtipennis
Order Coleoptera Hemiptera
Family Curculionidae Cicadidae
Size 3-4.5 mm 35-50 mm body length
Habitat Grasslands Grasslands
Diet Herbivores Sap Feeders
Regions Europe East Africa (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia)
Conservation Least Concern Least Concern

Great Mullein Weevil

A small rounded weevil found exclusively on great mullein plants. Similar to the figwort weevil but associated with different host plants. Larvae are external feeders in mucous cocoons.

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Did You Know?

Each larva lives inside its own slimy mucous cocoon attached to the mullein leaf surface.

African Cicada

A large cicada with brownish wings and a stout body. Males produce a deafening chorus using specialized tymbal organs on the abdomen during the hot hours of the day.

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Did You Know?

The sound of a cicada chorus can reach over 100 decibels, making them among the loudest insects in the world.