Month: May 2007

Last update before Chicago

Post author By Dan
Post date May 30, 2007
4 Comments on Last update before Chicago

Today I leave for Chicago! Saturday and Sunday I’ll be around the Lake County Forest Preserve Cicada Mania events. Saturday is Gene Kritsky, and Sunday is the Cicada Mania festival. Hopefully there will be time to drive up to Wisconsin because I’ve never been there. Monday, I’ll probably head down to the Brookfield Zoo, and watch the animals eat cicadas.

If you see me (I look like Lenny Clark) say hello.

Some new emergence locations: Prophetstown, IL, Wicker Park in Chicago, just east of Portage, IN, Moraine Nature Preserve, New Lenox, IL… BTW, Lake Geneva, Wi seems like a hot spot for Wisconsin.

Photos:

A massive brood XIII photoset on Flickr. The Cicada photos keep pouring in to Flickr — check them out.

Ms Frack has posted another great series of photos on her blog.

Music:

It’s the King Of Cicada. Listen and download.

News and Blogs

Tips to protect small trees.

Video of teachers eating cicadas for charity.

Why is Curmudgeon driving us buggy? More cicada stuff….. Nice pictures.

Cicada Outbreaks Linked to Other Animals’ Booms, Busts. I contributed a quote to this one.

Brood XIII Magicicada

Emergence Report for 5/28

Post author By Dan
Post date May 28, 2007
11 Comments on Emergence Report for 5/28

There’s been some Wisconsin reports: Lake Geneva, WI and Iowa County. Will Iowa state be next?

Photos

There are hundreds of cicada photos on flickr. Here’s some favorites:

A pile of exuvia.

A large pile at the foot of a tree.

Dozens climbing up a tree limb.

Close up of an adult.

Lucky Cicada Key Chain

Return of the Cicada Keychain – almost

Post author By Dan
Post date May 28, 2007
6 Comments on Return of the Cicada Keychain – almost

Madeline pointed out that Smart Zone Technologies are selling the legendary cicada keychain for $450 for 1000. I’m mildly obsessed with the keychain, but not enough to place an order. Actually I have to pay rent and there’s a new bass guitar that I want instead. 🙂

If any entrepreneurs out there are looking for a cicada item to sell — this is it. And if you do… you own Madeline a small finders fee.

keychain

Diceroprocta Paul Krombholz Tacuini (Cryptotympanini) U.S.A.

Diceroprocta vitripennis. out in Mississippi

Post author By Dan
Post date May 28, 2007
6 Comments on Diceroprocta vitripennis. out in Mississippi

Here’s a break in the Magicicada mania: a Diceroprocta vitripennis. This photo was taken by Cicada Mania regular Paul Krombholz in Jackson Mississippi just last week. Cicadas like Diceroprocta vitripennis are annual cicadas: they emerge each year in small numbers, and as you can see, they rely on camouflage for survival. Annual cicadas are also quite shy compared to the periodic Magicicadas — they have very different life strategies. American annual cicadas rely on stealth and cunning to survive while searching for a mate. Periodic cicadas rely on the fact that there are so many of them, that some will always survive to carry on the species.

Diceroprocta vitripennis by Paul Krombholz

Notes from Paul:

I am continuing this season to try to get pictures of all the cicadas in the
Jackson, Mississippi area. I just got a female specimen of Diceroprocta
vitripennis. I found it in low vegetation on a sand bar next to the Pearl
River. Thanks to John Davis and the collectors at the Mississippi Museum of
Science for the tip on where to look for them! From head to wing tips, it
is 38 mm, but the wings of this species are longer in relation to body
length than those of Tibicens. Body length of this vitripennis was only
22mm.

Tags D. vitripennis

Brood XIII Magicicada

Magicicada Emerging from its Exuvia

Post author By Dan
Post date May 28, 2007
2 Comments on Magicicada Emerging from its Exuvia

Here’s some nice close ups (macros) of a Magicicada emerging from its exuvia (what most people call skin, or husk, or shell). The photos were taken by Michael Fiorenzo with a Nikon Coolpix 3200. Click the images for the full size originals.

Molting Magicicada:

Mating Magicicada:

Japan

Assorted Cicada Stuff

A quick break in the Brood XIII action:

A website about Japanese cicadas (Semi). It’s interesting to see all the different varieties of cicadas that exist around the world.

Many, many photos of Japanese cicadas thanks to Google photo search.

Brood XIII Magicicada

Emergence Report for 5/26

New Emergence Locations: River Forest, Oak Park, Lenox (all Illinois)

Anyone in Wisconsin or Iowa see a cicada yet?

Photos:

And squirrels eating cicadas!

More Flickr photo sets:

ninjono’s cicada photos.

Elmhurst Bags’ cicada photos.

baywatchbanks’ cicada photos.

mawlor410’s cicada photos.

srfagan’s cicada photos. Nice photos of piles of cicada skins at the base of a tree.

Also read my article: Are cicadas safe to eat?. Watch out if you’re prone to gout.

Brood XIII Eye Color

Cicada Facts!

Post author By Dan
Post date May 24, 2007
No Comments on Cicada Facts!

Fact: Magicicadas can have blue and white eyes!

They’re very rare, but some Magicicadas can have blue or white eyes. Take a picture if you find one! Besides red, orange, white and blue, you might also find a magicicada with cream, yellow or tan eyes.

Fact: There is a wasp called the Cicada Killer Wasp

Can you guess why the Cicada Killer Wasp is called a cicada killer? They’re big wasps, but they’d rather sting a cicada than you. Read more about the Cicada Killer Wasp.

Fact: Cicadas don’t eat like people do, they drink tree fluids instead

Whether they’re in the ground on a root, or on a tree limb, cicadas drink tree fluids called xylem sap to stay nourished. They drink they fluid using their beak, also called a rostrum — it looks like a straw!

Fact: Magicicadas won’t appear everywhere

Even though the maps at the top of the page might suggest there are Magicicadas in your area, you might not find them on your property.

Here’s some reasons why:

You live in a new development, and the cicadas were killed when your neighborhood was built.
Too many pesticides.
There’s no large deciduous trees (like maples and oaks) in your neighborhood.
There simply aren’t any.

If none turn up in your yard, don’t give up hope: