Cicada ManiaWhen the Woods Hum by Joanne Ryder, illustrated by Catherine Stock, is recognized by cicada researchers as one of the most factually accurate childrens’ books about periodical cicadas. It’s hard to come by these days because it is out of print.
It’s worth hunting down for cicada book completists. Sometimes it appears on Amazon.
Renowned cicada researcher Gene Kritsky, PhD., has a new book out: Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition. It was available for Kindle and paperback on Amazon.com. I assume Gene will have an updated version in 2038.
Gene is also has a new link for the Cicada Safari App.
Not the Lucky Cicada Keychain, but something else:
7 Year Chirp
10293. Cicadas.
$5.95 3 CARDSThe cicada may seem like a simple and annoying insect. After all, the last thing you need on a steaming hot day is to hear the grating buzz and shrill of the cicada trying to attract a mate. However, the life of the cicada is so fascinating that it deserves four paragraphs of scintillating information on the back of our fancy blistercard. More attractive than a roach, yet not quite as fancy as a moth, these black rubber cicadas are 2-1/2″ long, detailed in pale green with translucent, veiny wings. You get three packages of three cicadas each.
Here’s a song titled Seventeen Year Cicadas by George Peter Block, Jr,:
I was chatting with John Cooley of Cicadas @ UCONN, and he suggested a list of cicadas heard in TV and Movies — so here it is. If you have any to add, leave them in the comments.
Around 9 minutes in. It’s less apparent in recent versions of the film, but you can hear it in older versions. Neotibicen tibicen cicadas can be heard in the background.
Around 1 hour 11 minutes into the film. You’ll hear a mix of cicadas including a Neotibicen pruinosus and Neotibien linnei.
I won’t say which episode, because the series is new, but a cicada prominently appears in at least 2 scenes in the series.
More to come… for now see the comments on Facebook.
Aside from Brood X, what else is happening in terms of Periodical cicadas?
I was wondering how much an adult Magicicada weighs. According to Richard Karban’s paper “Transient habitats limit development time for periodical cicadas,” a female Magicicada septendecim weighs approximately 1.2 grams. (Karban, R. (2014), Transient habitats limit development time for periodical cicadas. Ecology, 95: 3-8. https://doi.org/10.1890/13-1518.1)
According to the CDC website, the average adult American human weighs 84051 grams.
That means the average adult weighs as much as 70,043 Magicicada cicadas.
Image unrelated:
Magicicada.org was an amazing website filled with information about Magicicada periodical cicadas and backed by cicada expert, John Cooley.
The site now has a new address and look: Cicadas @ UCONN (https://cicadas.uconn.edu/). Bookmark it in preparation for the 2021 Brood X emergence.
UCONN (University of Connecticut) has other cicada websites such as The Simon Lab and Cicada Central.
Three new species of cicadas have been discovered in Meghalaya, India:
Mata meghalayana, Mata lenonia, and Mata ruffordii.
Photo courtesy of Vivek Sarkar.
Access the paper on Research Gate or Zootaxa Vol 4908, No 1.
Paper title: Description of three new species of the genus Mata Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae: Cicadinae: Oncotympanini) with notes on their natural history from the Indian state of Meghalaya, India
Authors: Vivek Sarkar, Cuckoo Mahapatra, Pratyush P. Mohapatra, Manoj V. Nair, Krushnamegh Kunte
Abstract: “Three new species of the Asian genus Mata Distant, 1906 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) viz. Mata lenonia sp.nov.; Mata ruffordii sp.nov. and Mata meghalayana sp.nov. are described from the Indian state of Meghalaya. Keys and taxonomic descriptions of these species are provided with detailed accounts of their natural history and acoustics.”
Brood X emerged in Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York (not yet extinct), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, and Washington D.C. Report them with the Cicada Safari app. Use the hashtag #BroodX or #BroodXCicadas on social media.
LATEST NEWS:
Enjoy this video from 2021:
12/27/21: Dr. Gene Kritsky’s retrospective on the 2021 Brood X emergence has been published on the America Entomologist website.
What, when, where, and why:
Billions of these insects:
Typically beginning in May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8" beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. Back in 2004, people began reporting emergences around May, 13th, but if the weather is warmer, it might start in late April. Update: in 2021, they started in Tennessee on 4/27.
Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom:
Cicadas @ UCONN has the most up to date map. If you see a cicada and want to report it, the Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices .
Here’s my list from 2004. Green highlight means adults have emerged in 2021!
Delaware counties: Kent, New Castle, Sussex.
Delaware places: Newark, Wilmington.
Georgia counties: Gilmer, Murray, Union, White, .
Georgia places: Blairsville, Blue Ridge, Chatsworth, Ellijay, Fort Mountain State Park, Norcross.
Illinois counties: Edgar, Clark, Cook, Crawford, Vermilion.
Illinois places: Marshall, Park Forest, University Park.
Indiana counties: Brown, Clark, Clay, Columbus, Crawford, Daviess, Dearborn, Dubois, Fountain, Gibson, Greene, Jackson, Jefferson, Jennings, Lawrence, Marion, Martin, Monroe, Montgomery, Morgan, Orange, Owen, Parke, Perry, Pike, Ripley, Spencer, Sullivan, Vanderburgh, Vigo, Warrick, Waveland, Washington.
Indiana places: Aurora, Bloomington, Brookville, Clinton Falls, Dillsboro, Fishers, French Lick, Henryville, Indianapolis, Lawrenceburg, Lexington, Martinsville, McCormick’s Creek State Park, Nashville, New Pelkin, North Vernon, Salem, Skiles Test Park, Spencer.
Kentucky counties: Boone, Breckenridge, Bullitt, Carroll, Daviess, Gallatin, Grayson, Hardin, Henry, Jefferson, Livingston, La Rue, McLean, Muhlenberg, Nelson, Ohio, Oldham, Trimble.
Kentucky places: Big Bone Lick State Park, Covington, Dayton, Dry Ridge, Eastview, Florence, Ft. Thomas, Georgetown, Grand Rivers, Hebron, Highland Heights, Louisville, Newport, Villa Hills.
Maryland counties: Allegany, Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Carroll, Cecil, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Montgomery, Prince Georges, Washington.
Maryland places: Abingdon, Annapolis, Aspen Hill, Baltimore (learn about the Baltimore Cicada Art project), Bel Air, Beltsville, Berwyn Heights, Bethesda, Bowie, Brooklandville, Brooklyn Park, Catonsville, Chevy Chase, Clarksville, Clinton, Colesville, College Park, Columbia, Cockeysville, Crofton, Cumberland, District Heights, Eldersburg, Elkridge, Elkton, Ellicott City, Fair Hill, Fallston, Forestville, Four Corners, Gaithersburg, Gambrills, Germantown, Glen Burnie, Glenelg, Greenbelt, Gwynn Oak, Hagerstown, Hanover, Havre De Grace, Hillcrest Heights, Hunt Valley, Hyattsville, Hydes, Jessup, Kensington, Landover Hills, Laurel, Linthicum, Loch Raven watershed, Lutherville, Odenton, Oella, Onley, Owings Mills, Pikesville, Potomac, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Riverdale, Rockville, Severna Park, Sharpsburg, Silver Spring, Takoma Park, Timonium, Towson, Travilah, Wheaton, Woodbine.
Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.
Michigan counties: Hillsdale, Washtenaw.
Michigan places: Ann Arbor, Canton, Quincy.
New Jersey counties: Burlington, Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Salem, Somerset, Warren.
New Jersey places: Alexandria, Allerton, Annandale, Asbury, Belle Mead, Bethlehem Township, Berkeley Heights, Bloomsbury, Browns Mills, Carpentersville, Clinton, Clinton Township, Cranbury, Delaware Township, East Amwell Township, Flemington, Franklin Park, Franklin Township (Somerset), Franklin Township (Warren), Frenchtown, Greenwich Township, Grover’s Mill, Hampton, Harmony, Hillsborough Township, Holland Township, Hopewell Township, Kendall Park, Kingston, Kingwood Township, Lambertville, Lawrence, Lebanon, Merrill Creek Reservoir, Milford, Montgomery, Monmouth Junction, Morristown, Mt. Rose, Pennington, Perryville, Phillipsburg, Plainsboro Township, Pittstown, Pohatcong Township, Princeton, Princeton Junction, Princeton Meadows, Prallsville, Raritan Township, Raven Rock, Readington Township, Ringoes, Rosemont, Rocky Hill, Skillman, Sourland Mountain, South Brunswick Township, Stanton, Stewartsville, Stockton, Union Township (Hunterdon), Voorhees Corner, West Windsor Township.
There’s an abundance of large parks and natural areas around Princeton.
New York counties: Suffolk (but extinct, or nearly so, but still look for them – Newsday article).
New York places: All on Long Island, but based on the 2004 emergence, they might be extinct. Some were seen in East Setauket, Connetquot River State Park, Ronkonkoma, Stony Brook. In 1987 they were seen in Shirley, Ronkonkoma, Bohemia, Connetquot River State Park, Oakdale, and Setauket.
In Long Island? Please read this article!.
North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Cherokee, Surry, Wilkes.
North Carolina places: Apex, Elkin, Morganton, Murphy, Roaring River, Weaverville.
Ohio counties: Butler, Clermont, Defiance, Franklin, Greene, Hamilton, Logan, Montgomery.
Ohio places: Amelia, Anderson Twp, Battelle Darby Park, Batavia, Bellbrook, Camden, Centerville, Cincinnati, Columbus, Defiance, Delaware, Delhi Twp, Dublin, Fairfield, Galloway, Hamilton, Kettering, Lewisburg, Lockland, Miamisburg, Olmsted Falls, Oxford, Paint Creek State Park, Springfield, St. Bernard, West Carrollton, West Chester.
Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Bucks, Chester, Columbia, County, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Lancaster, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mercer, Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Schuylkill, Somerset, York.
Pennsylvania places:Archbald, Artemas, Bedford, Carroll Valley, Coopersburg, Dinosaur Rock, Downingtown, Erwinna, Gettysburg, Green Lane, Kintnersville, Lake Nockamixon, Lancaster, Lititz, Lumberville, Malvern, Mertztown, Metal Township, Mohnton, Mt Gretna, New Hope, Oaks, Oley, Perkasie, Perkiomenville, Phoenixville, Pipersville, Pittston, Plumstead Township, Point Pleasant, Quakertown, Red Lion, Roaring Spring, Solebury Township, Spring Mount, Stewartstown, Tinicum Township, Topton, Uhlerstown, Upper Black Eddy, Warwick Park, Williams Township.
Special note for folks in the Philly area: Is Philly Being Snubbed Again?.
Tennessee counties: Blount, Greene, Hamblen, Hamilton, Jefferson, Knox, Polk, Roane, Sumner, Washtington, Wilson.
Tennessee places: Benton, Copperhill, Farragut, Fayetteville, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Powell, Signal Mountain.
Virginia counties: Arlington, Clarke, County, Dulles Smithsonian National Aircraft and Space Museum, Fairfax, Fauquier, Frederick, Loudoun, Shenandoah, Warren, Winchester.
Virginia places: Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Ashburn, Centreville, Chantilly, Clearbrook, Del Ray, Doswell, Dunn Loring, Fairfax, Falls Church, Franconia, Gore, Hampton Roads, Haymarket, Herndon, Lorton, Lovettsville, Manassas, McLean, Merrifield, Oakton, Reston, Springfield, Sterling, Vienna, White Post, Winchester.
West Virginia counties: Berkeley, Grant, Hampshire, Hardy, Jefferson, Mineral, Morgan.
West Virginia places: Inwood, Martinsburg, New Creek, Paw Paw.
Washington D.C. places: Washington D.C.
Want a FREE cicada book? In the DC area? Visit Lulu Florist, 4801 St. Elmo Ave., Bethesda, MD, and ask for a free copy of Cicada: Exotic Views by Davy Shian.
More Location Tips:
This is an example of a typical cicada emergence. The exact dates will depend on the weather and density of the emergence in your location. Hot weather means an early start and quicker finish to the season — cool weather means a later start, and a protracted season.
Here’s an Excel version of the chart. Feel free to use it and adjust it to match your experience.
Or watch the video version:
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Lean why many cicada wings are striveled up or damaged. |
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Learn about the Massospora cicadina fungus they share. |
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Look for cicadas with blue, white or other colored eyes. |
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Look for Mosaic pigment disorders. |
Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they’ve evolved a long, 17-year lifecycle to avoid predators that can sync up with their lifecycle & emergence. Why are there so many?! Research suggests that their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm predators, so enough of them will live on to breed and perpetuate the brood.
If you’re planting trees, wait until July. If your yard doesn’t get cicadas by the first week of June, it’s probably safe to plant in June. It’s the egg-laying that does damage. Talk to an arborist or tree expert if you’re actually concerned. I can’t answer your questions.
Things have changed since 1907. See the modern UConn Cicada Map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Leave a comment below, or join the Cicada Discussion & Science Group on Facebook.