A taxonomy based on acoustic features of some Iranian cicadas and calling song description ofChloropsalta smaragdulaHaupt, 1920 (Hem: Cicadidae) from Isfahan, Iran

Abstract

This paper compiles parameters of calling songs from 14 cicada species inhabiting Iran. In addition, calling song parameters of Chloropsalta smaragdula were analyzed for the first time. A taxonomy based on song parameters was designed, including Iranian cicadas Tibicen plebejus, Cicadatra lorestanica, Cicadivetta tibialis, Tettigetta golestani, Pagiphora annulata, Tibicina haematodes, Cicada orni, Pagiphora annulata, Chloropsalta smaragdula, Cicadatra hyalina, Psalmocharias querula, Cicadatra persica, Cicadatra alhageos, Cicadatra atra and Cicadatra barbodi out of 44 species reported from Iran. In addition to common acoustic parameters, four new complex spectral features such as variance, kurtosis, spectral centroid and short time energy were used. These additional features were necessary to construct a comprehensive identification key based on acoustic parameters. Our acoustic identification system provides a highly accurate species recognition method, which could be of general relevance in cicada taxonomy.