Cicada ManiaPhotos of Magicicada cicadas with white & blue eyes by Roy Troutman from 2004.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with blue eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with blue eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with white eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with white eyes by Roy Troutman.
Is it true that someone has offered a reward for a white or blue-eyed Magicicada cicadas?
This was false and an urban legend until in 2008 when Roy Troutman began to offer rewards for living blue-eyed cicadas for scientific research. All cicadas were released, unharmed.
Important: Roy is no longer offering the reward as he has obtained the cicadas needed for his research. So, don’t bug him, unless you want to tell him that his photos and video are awesome.
White or Blue-eyed Magicicadas cicadas are extremely rare, so finding them can be difficult. I usually find one per emergence, and that is after looking at thousands of cicadas.
Speaking of Roy and White-eyed cicadas, here is a video Roy took of a White-eyed cicada:
And here’s a white and orange-eyed cicada photo taken by Roy:
Here is a video of a rare white eyed magicicada. This is from a gene mutation that strepps the color from the cicadas eyes & also wings to some extent.
White eyed magicicada from Roy Troutman on Vimeo.
The White-eyed cicada contest is complete!
I had ten “I Love Cicada” pins sitting in a bag in my office. Ten people found a white-eyed cicada, sent me a photo and won “I Love Cicadas pins”!
Our first pin winner is Joey Simmons of Nashville, TN:
Our second winner is Meagan Lang of Nashville, TN:
Our third winner is Serena Cochrane of Gerald MO:
Our fourth winner is Melissa Han of Nashville TN:
Our fifth winners are Jane and Evan Skinner of Troy MO:
Our sixth winner is Phyllis Rice of Poplar Bluff MO:
Our seventh winner is Jack Willey of Nashville TV:
Our eighth winner is Chris Lowry of Nashville TN:
Our ninth winner is Nathan Voss of Spring Hill TN :
Our tenth and final winner is Paul Stuve of Columbia, MO:
Here’s the prize pins:
Most of the periodical cicadas you’ll see have red or reddish-orange eyes. A very small number, however, have white, blue, or yellow eyes. Some even have amazing multi-colored eyes. Have you seen any white eyed periodical cicadas yet? Be on the lookout for them, and make sure you take a photo or video when you see one. Have a contest with your friends and family to see who can find the first white or blue-eyed cicada. If you have a TV station, radio show or a local website, you could have a contest for who can find the first white eyed cicada. I personally have only found one white eyed cicada (video below), so I have to guess that the odds are at least one in 10,000.
Here’s a photo of a white eyed Magicicada cicada Roy Troutman found back in 2004:
Roy took a photo of a blue-eyed cicada, and I made a t-shirt from the image (I use the mug version for my morning coffee).
This is a video of white eyed cicada I recorded back in 2007:
High-res versions of Roy Troutman‘s marble-eyed cicada photos. Fascinating. You can see a color variation in all 5 eyes!
Roy Troutman has obtained another marble-eyed 17 year cicada found by Mike & Reed Finfrock of West Chester, Ohio.
White eyes are unique, maybe one in 100,000, but these marble eyed cicadas seem to be even more rare. They look like the red was torn away, revealing the gray below (like something you would see on a blinged out Honda Civic or an 80’s metal guitar).
Here’s something that’s truly amazing — a 17 year cicada with marble-colored eyes. White eyed cicadas are rare — but a mixed color eye cicada is amazing. Roy and the person how found the cicada should go play the lottery tonight, because luck is on their side.
Here’s some photos of Roy’s white eyed 17 year cicadas.
Michael Jimms sent us this photo of a blue eyed Magicicada:
Michael won the last button in the blue/white/gray eyed cicada category.
Congratulations to all the winners. There are still prizes left in the contest: for Multi Colored Eyed cicadas, and for an emerging nymph with white eyes. Good luck.