Here’s 3 Cicada Contest winners.
Jen Swofford in Highland Park, IL:
Mark Muto in North Riverside, IL:
Sonja Kassebaum of Gurnee, IL:
June 12, 2007
Blue Eyed Magicicada from Villa Park IL
Paula King’s son found this cicada in Villa Park, IL. In the picture they eyes are white, but Paula observed that the eye color would actually vacillate between blue and white over the course of time. That’s an important observation.
Here’s another picture from Paula of a cicada with mustard colored eyes:
Blue Eyed Magicicada from Downers Grove, IL
This photos of a blue-eyed Magicicada was taken by Maria Wagner in Downers Grove, IL.
June 9, 2007
Gray Eyed Cicada
Here’s a great photo of a gray eyed cicada found in Glenview, IL by Matt Bergquist and photographed by James Planey.
June 7, 2007
One Red Eye, One Blue Eye
Talk about one in a million: Steve Turner found this Magicicada with one red eye and one blue (sort of like a Husky dog or David Bowie). This is one of the highlights of the emergence so far.
May 24, 2007
Cicada Facts!
Fact: Magicicadas can have blue and white eyes!
They’re very rare, but some Magicicadas can have blue or white eyes. Take a picture if you find one! Besides red, orange, white and blue, you might also find a magicicada with cream, yellow or tan eyes.
Fact: There is a wasp called the Cicada Killer Wasp
Can you guess why the Cicada Killer Wasp is called a cicada killer? They’re big wasps, but they’d rather sting a cicada than you. Read more about the Cicada Killer Wasp.
Fact: Cicadas don’t eat like people do, they drink tree fluids instead
Whether they’re in the ground on a root, or on a tree limb, cicadas drink tree fluids called xylem sap to stay nourished. They drink they fluid using their beak, also called a rostrum — it looks like a straw!
Fact: Magicicadas won’t appear everywhere
Even though the maps at the top of the page might suggest there are Magicicadas in your area, you might not find them on your property.
Here’s some reasons why:
- You live in a new development, and the cicadas were killed when your neighborhood was built.
- Too many pesticides.
- There’s no large deciduous trees (like maples and oaks) in your neighborhood.
- There simply aren’t any.
If none turn up in your yard, don’t give up hope:
- Check local parks and forest preserves.
- Ask some friends and family if they’ve seen some. Cicada networking!
- Check your local news papers.
They’re out there, you just might have to travel a bit to see them.