Cicada Mania

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June 5, 2014

13-Year Cicadas to Emerge in Ohio & Kentucky in 2014

Magicicadas with a 13-Year life-cycle are emerging in Ohio & Kentucky, along the Ohio river, in 2014. This particular group of periodical cicadas last emerged in 2001 and 1988.

July 17th: I got confirmation from Dave Marshall and John Cooley that the ‘decim in the brood are Magicicada tredecim!

June 5th: Roy Troutman and I completed 3 days of cicada mapping in Ohio and Kentucky. This map includes our findings, Gene Kritsky’s findings and sightings submitted to Gene from local residents.

June 4th: Audio of a Magicicada tredecula call from the Ohio/Kentucky brood.

June 3rd: I spent the last last two days looking for cicadas in Ohio and Kentucky with Roy Troutman. Mostly ‘cassini, some ‘decula, and a very small amount of ‘decims. We found ‘cassini chorusing in Mason, KY, in the west, and so far as south as Neurls Run, KY. JoAnn White & Monte Lloyd’s paper 17-Year cicadas emerging after 18 years: A new brood?1 mentioned emergences in the Mason location, going back to 1975 (three 13 year generations ago).

2014 Ohio M tredecassini adult on leaf by Roy Troutman

2014 Ohio M tredecassini adult on leaf by Roy Troutman

May 31th: Cicadas are reported to be “loud and plentiful” in the Germantown KY area, as well as, Harrison county KY.

May 30th: Roy Troutman confirmed that ‘decula, ‘cassini and ‘decim type Magicicada have emerged in Ohio.

May 23th: Gene Kritsky wrote to let us know that “the emergence is now in full swing” in Ohio and Kentucky.

May 15th: Roy Troutman sent us a set of photos from Crooked Run Nature Preserve in Chilo, Ohio.

13 Year Nymph on tree by Roy Troutman taken in Chilo Ohio in 2014

13 Year Nymph on tree by Roy Troutman taken in Chilo Ohio in 2014

May 14th: Roy Troutman has reported that the emergence began last night in Chilo, OH according to a Clermont County Parks director. Cool weather this week (in the thirties!) will likely prevent more cicadas from emerging until next week (highs in 80s).

April 30th: Scientists ask for public’s help verifying cicadas hidden brood. Note: if you send your photos in to Dr. Kritsky, make sure Geo-Tag (Android) or Camera Location Services (iPhone) is turned on.

April 28th: Roy Troutman discovered cicada turrets, confirming the 2014 emergence of these cicadas.

More:

I know what you’re thinking: are these cicadas part of Brood XXII? Time and research will tell. Brood XXII emerges in Louisiana and Mississippi, which are geographically isolated from Ohio & Kentucky, so the two groups of cicadas are likely to be genetically distinct (belonging to different mitochondrial haplotype groups at least). That said, Brood II, which emerges mostly along the east coast of the U.S., also emerges in Oklahoma, which is geographically isolated from the rest of that brood. So, the Ohio/Kentucky cicadas could logically be part of brood XXII.

Back in 2001 Roy Troutman, Les Daniels and Gene Kritsky reported this group of cicadas to Cicada Mania. Les reported both cassini and decim.

My guess is these cicadas are somehow descended from Brood X or Brood XIV 17-year cicadas, and that if they are 13-year cicadas.

I wrote Roy for a list of towns where these cicadas emerged in 2001, and he said:

Chilo, OH
Cold Springs, KY
Higginsport, OH
Neville, OH
New Richmond, OH
Point Pleasant, OH
Ripley, OH
Utopia, OH
Woodland Mound Park, Cinncinati, OH


View OH/KY 13 Year Brood in a larger map

Check out the paper 1 White, J., and M. Lloyd. 1979. 17-Year cicadas emerging after 18 years: A new brood? Evolution 33:1193-1199. It was the first to document this odd brood of cicadas, although it did not mention the 13 year periodicity.

14 Comments »

  1. Reba Jolly says:

    I was in my yard yesterday and I saw this huge bug on my lawn chair. It seemed to be shredding its shell. I never saw anything like it before. I live in Akron Ohio.

  2. Kim says:

    Could there be cicadas emerging in CT. I’ve found two in my yard in the past week. We live in Northern CT.

    8/4/14

    1. Dan says:

      Sure. Annual cicadas, such as Tibicen emerge every year, but in smaller numbers than their periodical kin.

  3. Gail langendorf says:

    I live in Burlington ky and they anthey are here as well

  4. danielle says:

    I live in youngstown ohio, and just saw one the other day, but I hear all day. They aren’t to bad, but haven’t mowed the grass yet guess ill see what happens then.

  5. Lindsay says:

    I’ve been hearing them for a while now, and just saw a couple flying in my back yard near my deck. I live in Trenton, OH

  6. Jodie Weber says:

    I live in Campbell County Grants Lick area along the Licking River and they are very loud and plentiful here.

  7. Deb says:

    We have a heavy emergence here on Bethel Hygiene near Dean Rd in Bethel.

  8. Jay Sheppard says:

    Lucky chickens!! Bet they lay some really tasty eggs for the next couple of weeks! 🙂

    Thanx for all the reports!

  9. They are everywhere here in Foster, KY ( Bracken County). They are covering young trees and the noise is loud from dawn to dark. They swarmed around the tractor while my husband and son were bush- hogging yesterday. They are being collected in sand pails and fed to the chickens.( who like this treat better than anything else right now)

  10. Viota Uhles says:

    Cicadas are heavily populating the northern end of Harrison County Ky. My Mom who lives in the kelat area of Harrison county is bombarded by them. However I live closer to town and we have not had any. We went hiking today at the Quiet Trails off of Sunrise road today and the trails are anything but quiet today.

  11. Bob says:

    I live between Germantown, KY and Mt.Olivet, KY along the north fork of the Licking River and they are loud and plentiful here. If you are mowing grass they will land on you but just walking around you only have an occasional one land on you. I get a strainer basket full of dead ones in my pool daily.

  12. Josias Lucas says:

    They are actually in Woodville, MS which is really close to Baton Rouge, LA. They are currently mating because the noise has not not stop. Haven’t seen them only because I haven’t checked but they are really loud….

  13. Jay Sheppard says:

    Any reports from downstream of Cincinnati….e.g., towards the Louisville area along the Ohio R.? Are they found out in the flood plain or just outside that elevation on the slopes of the facing hill sides? Very intersting that these were only discovered 13 years ago! The Cincinnati Mus. of Natual History goes back almost 200 years with several entomologists on its early staff. (John J. Audubon was one of its first employees!)

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