Here’s the most interesting (to me at least) year cicada facts.
- Eye Color: Most 17 Year Cicadas have red eyes, but they can also have white, gray, blue , yellow, brown , or multi-colored eyes
- Names: People call these cicadas “locusts” but they are not true locusts — real locusts look like grasshoppers. The phrase “17 year cicada” indicates that they arrive every 17 years, and “periodical cicadas” indicate that they arrive periodically and not each and every year. The scientific name for the Genus of these cicadas is Magicicada, and there are 3 types of 17 year Magicicadas: Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula.
- There’s 13 year cicadas too: there are 13 year cicadas too! Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula.
- You’ll have to wait a long time to see another emergence after 2008: if you’re unwilling to move or travel, you’ll have to wait another 17 years to see another 17 year cicada. If you are willing to travel, the next 17 year cicada brood will emerge in 2012, Brood 1 in Virginia and West Virginia. The next 13 year cicadas will emerge in 2011 (AL, AR, GA, IN, IL, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA).
- Fungus: The Massosporan fungus infects Magicicadas, filling their abdomens and destroying their ability to reproduce. Often, their entire abdomen will fall off. The cicadas actually spread the fungus throughout their local colony via mating — the Massosporan fungus is a cicada STD!
- People eat them: People eat them. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, saute it. There, uh, cicada kabobs, cicada creole, cicada gumbo, panfried, deep fried, stir fried. There’s pineapple cicada, lemon cicada, coconut cicada, pepper cicada, cicada soup, cicada stew, cicada salad, cicada and potatoes, cicada burger, cicada sandwich… that’s, that’s about it.
- Animals eat them: all wild animals and domestic pets will eat them. Dogs will gorge themselves until they choke. Squirrels will eat them like corn on the cob. Wild turkeys will grow fat and juicy on the cicada feast. Fish go crazy for them too — you can use them as bait, or use lures that mimic them.
- Cicadas “eat” tree fluids: Cicadas don’t eat solid foods — instead they use their slender, straw-like mouth parts to drink tree fluids.
- Cicadas pee: Yes cicadas pee, so wear a hat when walking under trees if that sort of thing bothers you.
- That cicada sound: Only male cicadas make the sound they’re famous for. Males have organs on their abdomen called tymbals. Muscles pop the tymbals in and out, which creates the sound we hear. Males make different calls for different reasons, and each species has a unique sound. Females can make sound too — they flick their wings to respond to males. Read this article for more information.
- There’s billions of them: there are literally billions of 17 year cicadas. Why? One theory suggests that the large number overwhelms predators, so predators are never able to eat them all and cicadas, and many always survive to mate.
- They damage wimpy trees: the biggest concern about 17 year cicadas is their potential to damage young trees. The truth is they will damage limbs on the wimpiest of trees, so if you if you have weak, pathetic, wimpy ornamental trees in your yard you should consider placing netting around the trees if the cicadas visit your yard. Or, plant strong, beefy American trees — that’s what I would do. Cicadas actually benefit the health of trees by aerating the soil around the roots, and trimming the weak or damaged limbs.
do you know what states the bugs will be this year
Comment by florence — May 4, 2008 @ 8:53 am
Southern Ohio, Kentucky, Northern Tennessee, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, Southern Pennsylvania, Western parts of Virginia & W. Virginia, and parts of New York & New Jersey .
I live in Central PA and started hearing and seeeing the flying adults just today (June 5, 2008)
Comment by Lisa S — June 5, 2008 @ 7:58 am
someone said the cicadas do not bite .they are wrong they do bite .we were sitting tobacco in 1992 when they were here.they would light on our legs. and arms. back.and bite us it really hurt i lived in richmond ky anyone working our in the field can tell you they do bite.
Comment by Edna Simpson — June 8, 2008 @ 8:53 am
What can be done for your trees after eggs have been laid inside them?
Comment by cynthia — June 14, 2008 @ 8:33 am
How long will they hang around? I am in Kentucky and I am anxious for them to leave!!!
Comment by nancyed2003 — June 15, 2008 @ 5:06 pm
can cicada accully bite you or not or is it just a sting
Comment by sam — June 26, 2008 @ 7:50 pm
They can poke you with their straw-like mouthpiece, but unlike flies or bees they don’t do this maliciously — they only do it when they think you’re a tree.
Comment by Dan — June 26, 2008 @ 8:52 pm
I live in Arizona and we have cicadas every year, and every year they make an unholy racket from May through August. I have seen these bugs, they look very similar to all the pictures I’ve seen on your site.
So why are we seeing them for such a long stretch every single year? I wish they would only come out every 17 years, and only last a month, as your site claims.
I now associate the noise with the boiling heat of our summers. Why are we seeing them every year? Why does it last for 3 whole months? The noise is getting very tiresome.
Comment by tb — August 1, 2008 @ 9:49 am
Okay- Minnesota here and dusk, sitting on my back porch as the sun is nearly set. I hear two ten second or so sounds that are just like a cicada, only about
500 times louder. I have never heard anything like it. I know the sounds of cicadas and this was definitely a single insect. Any ideas? I have never heard
anything like it before!
Comment by Joe — August 17, 2008 @ 6:13 pm
Joe — Katydids, most likely.
Comment by Dan — August 17, 2008 @ 6:36 pm
Hey Dan- If that was a katydid, I am the pope! It was incredibly loud.
Comment by Joe — August 19, 2008 @ 8:11 am
Joe — you might want to stop by the pointy hat store, because Conehead katydids can be mighty loud!
Comment by Dan — August 19, 2008 @ 5:27 pm
Comment to Edna Simpson above – they DO NOT bite. They can’t – they don’t have teeth.
Comment by Karen — August 26, 2008 @ 2:45 am
Well we have lots of the cicadas at Goldendale WA on our place and sort of enjoy looking for them. I have several in a jar, some skins and some was alive when put in the jar. I hear them at night and all day too. I am not going to eat any though but thanks any way see ya Ted It is June 18 2009
Comment by Diane Kennedy — June 18, 2009 @ 2:01 pm
We had 17-year cicadas in Northern Illinois in 2007. Today, I found a 17-year cicada on a tree alive. Is
this common?
Comment by Marsha — June 21, 2009 @ 5:13 pm
Marsha — it is odd to find one 2 years later. Usually straggling (when a periodic cicada emerges early or later) happens one year later or 4 years prior. But nothings seems impossible.
Comment by Dan — June 22, 2009 @ 4:36 am
I think these facts are sooooooooooo interesting!!!:)
Comment by Susannah — February 22, 2010 @ 1:52 pm
My 6 yr. old daughter and I found what I assume is an annual cicada (green eyes and limbs)today in our yard. We watched for a while and then came in to research. Thanks for all of the info. I remember a huge emergence of cicadas when I was a child and look forward to sharing the experience with my kids!
Comment by Amy — July 31, 2010 @ 11:47 am
i want the sound of minnesota cicada but cant find it anywhere…any clues?
Comment by robi — August 6, 2010 @ 10:35 am
Robi, Probably an Okanakana or Tibicen. Check out the cicada links on this page http://www.musicofnature.com/songsofinsects/iframes/specieslist.html and see if they’re what you’re looking for.
Comment by Dan — August 6, 2010 @ 10:56 am