Category: Behavior

Are cicadas attracted to the sound of lawnmowers and other machinery?

Post author By Dan
Post date July 5, 2015
10 Comments on Are cicadas attracted to the sound of lawnmowers and other machinery?

Cicadas on Man Are cicadas attracted to the sound of lawnmowers and other machinery? Yes! Cicadas, particularly Magicicada periodical cicadas, are attracted to lawnmowers, weed-whackers, leaf blowers, hedge trimmers, power drills, etc. If it is loud and vibrates, cicadas will be attracted to it. Why? Most likely because they think your tool is a particularly impressive periodical cicada chorusing center, so males want to join in with the chorus and females want to mate with the particularly impressive males.

So, next time you’ve got the old angle grinder out, don’t be surprised if a cicada lands on your shoulder.

Brood II Magicicada Ovipositing Periodical Video

Video of Magicicada septendecula from Brood II

Post author By Dan
Post date November 19, 2014
No Comments on Video of Magicicada septendecula from Brood II

Here are two videos of Magicicada septendecula from Brood II.

Female Magicicada septendecula

Magicicada septendecula from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

A female Magicicada septendecula ovipositing

A female Magicicada septendecula ovipositing from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Tags M. septendecula

Brood II Magicicada Ovipositing Periodical Video

Cicada Video of the Week

Here’s some cicada video I shot over the weekend. Enjoy:

Magicicada trying to take a drink from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Singing Magicicada septendecim from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Magicicada septendecim ovipositing from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Close up of a tymbal of a Magicicada septendecim from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Tags M. septendecim

Brood II Chimneys Magicicada Nymphs Periodical Video

Cicada chimneys and a nymph under a slate

Post author By Dan
Post date May 10, 2013
No Comments on Cicada chimneys and a nymph under a slate

I didn’t see any nymphs emerge and undergo ecdysis tonight, but I did find plenty of cicada chimneys and nymphs trapped under slates.

Cicadas build chimneys above their holes, typically after it rains a lot and the soil becomes soft. The chimneys help keep water from rushing into their holes, and they keep ants and other menaces out.

Brood II 2013 - Dan Mozgai - Cicada Chimneys

A good place to find cicada nymphs is under backyard slates (or similar objects that cover the ground). Flip over your slates and you might find a nymph tunneling their ways to the side of the slate.

Brood II 17 Year Cicada Nymph trapped under a slate from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.

Cystosoma David Emery Mating

Mating Bladder cicadas

Mating bladders 2, originally uploaded by ozzicada.

An excellent photo of mating Bladder cicadas (Cystosoma saundersii) by David Emery.

Tags Bladder Cicada

Chimneys

Cicada Turrets or Chimneys

Post author By Dan
Post date November 10, 2012
41 Comments on Cicada Turrets or Chimneys

Cicada nymphs create what we call turrets or chimneys above the tunnel hole where they will eventually emerge. These chimneys are made from soil. They are a positive indication of where cicada nymphs are underground and that they will emerge soon. Cicadas seem to build chimneys in wetter, muddier areas; in dry areas they will simply make holes at the surface. The chimneys will help keep water and mud from back-filling their holes, so they can continue to breathe, take a peek out and prepare to emerge.

Magicicada Tunnel (by Les Daniels):

Magicicada chimney

A cicada tunnel in Bangkok Thailand (by Santisuk Vibul):
cicada tunnel view from top Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

Three Magicicada chimneys (by Roy Troutman):

Magicicada nymph turret by Roy:

This is video taken of a magicicada nymph turret. These turrets are often found in wet areas.

Magicicada nymph turret from Roy Troutman on Vimeo.

Chimneys Santisuk Vibul Thailand

New gallery of cicada tunnels from Thailand

Post author By Dan
Post date November 6, 2009
2 Comments on New gallery of cicada tunnels from Thailand

Santisuk Vibul sent us 3 photos of cicada tunnels/chimneys from Bangkok Thailand.

cicada tunnel Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

cicada tunnel view from top Thailand photo by Santisuk Vibul

immature cicada in tunnel photo by Santisuk Vibul

From Santisuk Vibul: “I found this cicada chimney on the lawn in front of my house on October 22, 2009. In Thailand, this month is late rainy season, there is no heavy rain and there will be no flood in the cicada tunnels, but the cicadas nymphs still build their chimneys. Some authorities said they built chimneys to stay to breathe and prepare themselves for their final molting.”

Brood XIV Chimneys Magicicada Nymphs Periodical Roy Troutman

Cicada nymphs, chimneys and holes

Post author By Dan
Post date April 23, 2008
8 Comments on Cicada nymphs, chimneys and holes

Here are some new photos from Roy Troutman that will give you a good idea of what to look for when searching for signs of cicadas in your yard:

This is a pair of Magicicada nymphs, much like you might find when gardening or turning over logs or stones in your yard.

Magicicada nymphs

See those beige globs of soil amongst the leaves and debris? Those are called cicada chimneys. They are a sure sign that a cicada nymph is below the soil, and will emerge in a few days or weeks.

Magicicada chimneys

Look closely at this picture and you’ll see holes in the ground. Those are holes that cicada nymphs have dug, and they’re another sure sign of where a cicada will emerge.

Cicada holes