Okanagana occidentalis (Walker & F. 1866)

Okanagana occidentalis is known from Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming (U.S.A.) and British Columbia and Alberta (Canada). It can be found in large numbers in sagebrush shrublands in Colorado. It has been associated with cottonwoods (Populus spp.), trees, underbrush, and flowers. Sanborn & Phillips found it associated with several bushy plants in a wash. It is restricted to mountainous environments and is associated with the Rocky Mountain forests, intermountain forests, Pacific coastal/Cascadian forests, and California forests. (Sanborn & Phillips 2013)

Status unknown.

Adults emerge in July (Strickland 1953).

Reported from Lethbridge in Alberta, but likely also occurs in the southwestern mountains, as it occurs throughout southern British Columbia. Found south through Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montan, Nevada, Utah and California (Davis 1919, Simons 1954, Strickland 1953).

A mid- to large-sized Okanagana with a wingspan of about 60mm. Predominantly shiny black with orange segment borders and markings. O. rimosa is similar and sympatric to occidentalis in the western parts of the province, but occidentalis has a broader forewing (width:length ratio of 0.34 - 0.36, 0.29 - 0.31 in rimosa), and is shiny black rather than the dull black of rimosa. Compared to bella, occidentalis has a dense covering of long hairs on the underside of the abdomen, bella has only sparse, short hairs. The ventral plate of the terminal abdominal segment is doubly notched in female occidentalis, singly in bella (Davis 1919).

Likely restricted to montane grasslands in Alberta.

Unknown, but undoubtedly similar to other members of the genus.

Plant fluids. Specific hosts unknown.

Okanagana occidentalis is a species of cicada in the family Cicadidae. It is found in North America.