Cicadas in Switzerland : a scientific overview of the historic and current knowledge of a popular taxon (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)

Cicadas are charismatic and are widely appreciated, even by the general public, but knowledge of species diversity and distribution is patchy, incomplete and sometimes misleading. This study presents an overview on the historic and current knowledge on the cicadas of Switzerland. For the first time, data retrieved from historic and recent literature, review of public and private collections and detailed recent field-work including up-to-date recording techniques have been combined. Our work during the last decade has resulted in the doubling of the number of known species. We now report the existence of ten native species in Switzerland : Cicada orni, Lyristes plebejus, Tibicina quadrisignata, T . steveni, T. haematodes, Cicadetta montana s. str., C. cantilatrix, C. sp. aff. cerdaniensis, C. brevipennis and Tettigettalna argentata. All species are presented, with detailed distribution maps, data on habitat and conservation status. Centres of cicada diversity are the southern Swiss cantons of Valais, Ticino and Geneva. Nine species have restricted habitat requirements, seven species are rare and three species are of high national conservation importance in Switzerland.