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Brood XIII

Day One the the Lake County Forest Preserve

Today was a great day. I attended Gene Kritsky’s talk at the Lake County Forest Preserve. After 11 years of Cicada Mania, it was great to finally meet Gene and see one of his speeches. I also got to meet Cicada Mania contributor Roy Troutman for the first time, as well as Gerry Bunker who runs the information rich Massachusetts Cicadas website, and Joe Green, who contributes to the Entomology – Cicadidae Yahoo! Group (rip).

I also spent a lot of the day with a film team from Fuji TV, the Japanese ABC affiliate. They’re filming the emergence for Japanese TV. Very cool!

I was able to take a couple good photos, and some video. I hope to upload the video on Tuesday or Wednesday.

Adult Magicicada

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Brood XIII Magicicada

Time to face the (cicada) music

A great photo of a Magicicada by Christina Thorell:

Adult Magicicada

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Brood XIV Roy Troutman

Adult Cicadas

This is as adult as it gets for Magicicadas.

Adult Magicicadas

Another great photo from Roy Troutman (who I apologize to for the crop job on his original photo).

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Brood XIII Magicicada

Chicago

Looking forward to seeing Gene Kritsky speak tomorrow at the Lake County Forest Preserve.

Blogs (some with pictures)
First, Catch Your Cicada .

Photo of the day

Photo by Joe Balynas.

Cicada

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Magicicada

Cicadas in Ann Arbor area?

Kaz wrote to tell us that Magicicadas are appearing around Ann Arbor MI, contrary to popular opinion — I’ll waiting for pictures to confirm…. Developing…

Update: these would be Brood X stragglers, not brood XIII. 🙂

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Brood XIII

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.

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Brood XIII Magicicada

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.

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Lucky Cicada Key Chain

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

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

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

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.

Categories
Brood XIII Magicicada

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:
Molting Magicicada

Molting Magicicada:
Molting Magicicada

Mating Magicicada:
Mating Magicicada