Here is how to tell the difference between a male cicada and a female cicada (for most species):
1) Only males sing. If the cicada is singing, it is a male.
2) Look at their abdomen. If it comes to a point and has an ovipositor, it is a female.
This is an image comparing the abdomens of male and female Magicicada cicadas.
This image compares a male and a female Neotibicen lyricen. Note the difference in the curvature of the 7th sternite, the shape & location of the tymbal covers of the male, and the valvulae & ovipositor of the female.
Male and female Neotibicen:
Also, if the cicada is laying eggs in the branch of a tree, that’s proof that it’s a female. Here is a video of that:
You can say “si-kah-da” or “si-kay-da”. Either pronunciation is correct. The pronunciation changes depending on your regional accent.
Around New York and New Jersey folks pronounce it “si-kah-da”. William T. Davis pronounced it “si-kah-da”. Davis was a naturalist and entomologist located in Staten Island, NY, active in the late 1800′s and early 1900′s. Davis collected the largest collection of cicadas in the United States. The collection is currently housed at the Staten Island Museum. Davis described over 100 cicadas in his career — he should know what he’s saying. 🙂
The emergence of Brood XXIII is well underway in the states along the Mississippi, and Brood IV should kick off in the west as soon as it stops raining every day. These aren’t the only Magicicada periodical cicadas emerging in the U.S. this year — some stragglers will emerge as well.
A straggler is a periodical cicada that emerges before or after the rest of its brood. Typically a straggler belonging to a 17 year brood will emerge 4 years early, but they might also emerge a year early, or a year late, or even 4 years late. This probability chart, details the probability of a straggler emergence.
In 2015 you might find the following stragglers:
Brood XIII: 17 year cicadas emerging 4 years early in OH, PA, WVA.
The most popular question is “how long will the cicadas last“. They’ll last as long as it takes for them to mate and run our of energy. They translates to about 4 weeks of singing. Good weather — dry, calm, and in the 80s — helps them finish their business quicker.
Here is a video that will show you how to identify the various species:
Brood IV, the Kansan brood, will emerge in Texas, Oklahoma, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Iowa, in the spring of 2015.
The cicada species that will emerge are Magicicada cassinii (Fisher, 1852), Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758), and Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. These periodical cicadas have a 17-year life cycle. The last time they emerged was 1998.
Counties:
Here is a list of the Counties where Brood IV periodical cicadas have appeared in the past. The data came from the Cicada Central Magicicada Database(RIP). The bolded counties are the ones Cicada Central has specimens for, indicating that they’re more of a sure thing.
Iowa: Adair, Adams, Cass, Dallas, Fremont, Johnson, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Pottawattamie, Ringgold, and Taylor
