// Workers AI · dad joke modeWhat did Burbunga hillieri say? Leaf me alone.

Burbunga hillieri
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Arthropoda
Clade:	Pancrustacea
Class:	Insecta
Order:	Hemiptera
Suborder:	Auchenorrhyncha
Family:	Cicadidae
Genus:	Burbunga
Species:	B. hillieri
Binomial name
	Burbunga hillieri; (Distant, 1907)
Synonyms
	Macrotristria hillieri Distant, 1907;

Burbunga hillieri, also known as the desert screamer, is a species of cicada in the true cicada family. It is endemic to Australia. It was described in 1907 by English entomologist William Lucas Distant.^[1]^[2]

Description

The species has a forewing length of 41–49 mm. It is cryptically coloured for sitting on bark.^[3]

Distribution and habitat

The syntype was collected in the vicinity of Hermannsburg in the southern Northern Territory west of Alice Springs.^[2] The species is found across much of arid inland Australia and has been recorded from all mainland states as well as the Northern Territory. It inhabits Acacia scrubland, including gidgee, mulga and ironwood communities, as well as small shrubs in desert habitats.^[3]

Behaviour

Adults are heard from September to March, when they utter loud, continuous, buzzing calls during the heat of the day and at dusk.^[3]

References

1 2 Distant, WL (1907). "Rhynchotal notes.—XLIII". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7 (20): 411–425 [413].
1 2 "Species Burbunga hillieri (Distant, 1907)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-20.
1 2 3 L.W. Popple (2025). "Desert Screamer Burbunga hillieri (Distant, 1907)". A web guide to the cicadas of Australia. Popple Creative Industries. Retrieved 2025-08-20.

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[distant1907-1] 1 2 Distant, WL (1907). "Rhynchotal notes.—XLIII". Annals and Magazine of Natural History. 7 (20): 411–425 [413].

[afd-2] 1 2 "Species Burbunga hillieri (Distant, 1907)". Australian Faunal Directory. Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia. 2025. Retrieved 2025-08-20.

[popple-3] 1 2 3 L.W. Popple (2025). "Desert Screamer Burbunga hillieri (Distant, 1907)". A web guide to the cicadas of Australia. Popple Creative Industries. Retrieved 2025-08-20.

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