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Luminary Oddities · Natural history & art
Balinta octonotata
Hemiptera / Cicadidae
Balinta octonotata is an Asian cicada with cream markings on dark wings. A 2021 specimen study documents extensive variation in the forewing spots and records the species in Assam and Uttarakhand.
Read the species account
The typical form has four cream spots on each forewing: one near the base, two farther outward and one near the apex. Documented variants lose spots, merge them into a band or divide one spot into two. [1]
Kafley and Smetacek examined thirteen specimens from Gangmouthan, Assam, collected on 20 May 2019, and a male from Ranibagh, Uttarakhand, collected on 26 June 2007. The Ranibagh specimen extends the study’s documented range westward and came from sal forest. [1]
The 2021 study adds three spot-pattern forms to the previously described variation. These are individual pattern variants within Balinta octonotata. [1]
Kafley and Smetacek proposed mimicry of female Lymantria semicincta moths as a possible explanation for the cicada’s appearance. Their interpretation is a hypothesis based on resemblance. [1]
Cicada octonotata is the original combination recorded in the nomenclatural account. The database derives the genus name Balinta from a locality in Gujarat. [2]
The specimen photographs in the 2021 study provide dorsal and ventral views of the documented spot forms. The locations of the cream marks relative to the wing base and apex make the variants readily comparable. [1]
Cream markings stand out against the dark wing fields. Their shapes and spacing give each illustrated individual a distinct pattern.
Keep the enclosure closed and display it in indirect light, away from heat and damp conditions. Handle the frame by its edges and clean only its exterior according to the maker’s instructions.
Does a different spot count indicate a different species? The 2021 study documents reduced, merged and divided markings as variation within Balinta octonotata. [1]
Which Indian records were examined? The study includes the Gangmouthan series from Assam and a male from Ranibagh, Uttarakhand. [1]
The specimen study documents wing-pattern variation and Indian occurrences. The World Auchenorrhyncha Database records the original combination and the type-species designation of Balinta. [1][2]
Kafley and Smetacek; Bionotes 23(1), 2021, pp. 2–5 · Accessed 2026-10-09
World Auchenorrhyncha Database, Species File Group · Accessed 2026-10-09
Australian Museum · Accessed 2026-10-09
Sources checked 2026-10-09. Illustrations · Luminary Oddities.
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