Cicada Mania

I bet you thought I was going to post another Tibicen photo! Here’s a Magicicada photo Ryan Anderson took during the 2002 brood XXIII emergence in Kentucky.

Now is a good a time as any to point out the difference between Magicicadas and Tibicens:

Magicicadas:

• Emerge in en masse in groups called broods
• There are 15 different broods. Broods emerge every 13 or 17 years depending on the brood. No broods emerged in 2006.
• Magicicadas have red eyes, black bodies and orange legs and wings
• Other names for Magicicadas: periodical cicadas, “locusts”, 17-year cicadas, 13-year cicadas

Tibicens:

• Emerge in limited numbers, and not in broods
• Emerge every year
• Tibicens are typically larger than Magicicadas. Tibicens are usually a combination of green, black, or brown.
• Other names for Tibicens: Harvest Flies, annual cicadas, Dog-Day cicadas