Guwahati: A rare black-and-golden cicada has been recorded in India for the first time, with researchers from Aaranyak and the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust documenting Huechys fusca in Assam’s Manas National Park.
The first-ever Indian record of the species was documented by Koushik Rajbongshi, Jonmani Kalita and Karan Barman of Aaranyak’s Threatened Species Recovery Programme, along with Dhritiman Das of the Pygmy Hog Conservation Programme, Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust. Their findings have been published in the July 2026 issue of Zoo’s Print.
The researchers recorded the cicada during a field survey in the Bansbari range of Manas on May 20, 2024, near the Bangale Hat-Dhuwa forest camp. At around 10:50 am, they spotted the insect perched on the girdled trunk of an Okshi tree (Dillenia pentagyna) under clear, sunny conditions.
The sighting lasted only about a minute before the cicada flew away, but the researchers were able to identify it as Huechys fusca Distant, 1892, commonly known as the black-and-golden cicada.
The species had previously been reported from several parts of Southeast Asia, including Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and Borneo, but had not been recorded from India.
The Manas record therefore significantly extends the known distribution of the species and adds H. fusca to India’s cicada fauna.
A hidden diversity of cicadas
The researchers noted that cicadas of the Indian subcontinent have received relatively little scientific attention since the early 20th century. India is currently known to have around 204 native cicada species, while the genus Huechys comprises 24 living species.
Five Huechys species were already known from India, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Three of them—H. beata, H. sanguinea and H. thoracica—have been recorded from Assam.
The researchers, however, pointed out that the cicada diversity of Assam remains inadequately studied, raising the possibility that further surveys could uncover additional species or expand the known ranges of already documented ones.
Manas provides a clue to its habitat
The H. fusca sighting occurred in a low alluvial savannah woodland habitat in Manas, an ecosystem supporting a diverse mix of grasses and trees.
The area is dominated by grasses such as Saccharum narenga, Imperata cylindrica, Apluda mutica and Arundinella nepalensis, with tree species including Okshi, Careya arborea, Bombax ceiba and Gmelina arborea.
According to the researchers, the Indian record provides valuable information on the habitat and natural history of the elusive cicada and highlights the ecological importance of Manas.
Spread across 500 sq km in Assam’s Baksa and Chirang districts, Manas is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Tiger Reserve and Biosphere Reserve and forms the core area of the Manas Biosphere Reserve.
The researchers said continued protection of the park’s forests, grasslands and other habitats is essential for conserving its rich biodiversity.
The new country record also underlines a larger scientific gap: while Manas is internationally recognised for its large mammals and other threatened wildlife, its lesser-known insect diversity remains comparatively poorly documented.
For Assam’s researchers, the tiny cicada has opened another window into the still largely unexplored biodiversity of Manas.