Get it on a shirt! Guys & Gals
Here’s my entry into the popular KEEP CALM meme. “KEEP CALM they’re only 17-YEAR CICADAS”.
January 30, 2013
January 23, 2013
Brood II Cicada Event at Staten Island Museum
The emergence of Brood II is 3 to 4 months away (when they emerge depends on how warm the Spring is), but the Staten Island Museum, in Staten Island NY has already planned an event and exhibit to celebrate the emergence. According to cicada researcher Allen Sanborn, the museum largest cicada collection in North America (they have over 35,000 specimens), so it’s a good place to celebrate cicadas.
They’re Baaack! Return of the 17-year Cicadas
February 16, 2013 – Spring 2014
See numerous cicada specimens from the Museum’s extensive collection, sculpture inspired by the Cicada, new work by syndicated cartoonist Tayor Jones, a timeline of past emergences linked to historic events, a time-lapse video of emerging cicadas, a hands on video microscope, a Google map showing where cicadas are emerging, big-bug sci-fi fun, unusual Cicada ephemera and facts from around the globe, activities for kids and more.
On February 15th they’re having OPENING RECEPTION PREVIEW PARTY from 6:00pm – 9:00pm, including dinner, drinks and disco.
On February 16th they’re having a Cicada Family Day from 10:00am – 4:00pm.
And then cicada exhibits throughout the Spring.
See their Upcoming Exhibitions and Current Exhibitions page for more information (which page depends on when you read this.)
The Staten Island Museum is located at Staten Island Museum, 75 Stuyvesant Place, SI, NY 10301, or on the web at www.statenislandmuseum.org.
November 10, 2012
Getting Ready for the 2013 Brood II Emergence
Brood II will next emerge in 2030.
This page has not been updated since 2013.
Cicada Mania was started back in 1996, the last time Brood II emerged! The Spring of 2013 will be our first chance to see the children of the cicadas that emerged 17 years ago. Here is the basic information you need to know about the 2013 Brood II emergence.
Even though the emergence is 5 to 6 months away, it is never too early to begin planning… especially if you are a cicada maniac like me.
When will the Brood II cicadas emerge?
Brood II cicadas will emerge sometime in the Spring of 2013. They typically emerge once the soil 8 inches (20cm) below the surface gets to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18º C). If we have a hot Spring, as we did in 2012, the cicadas could emerge in mid-to-late April. If we have a moderate Spring, the cicadas will wait until May.
Where will they emerge?
Brood II will emerge in parts of Connecticut, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia.
- Visit the Magicicada Database Query Page to search historical records of the Brood II emergence. You will learn the counties where Brood II cicadas have emerged in the past.
- The map in this article is an old one from C.L. Marlatt’s 1898 bulletin “The Periodical Cicada. An Account of Cicada Septendecim, Its Natural Enemies and the Means of Preventing Its Injury, Together with a Summary of the Distribution of the Different Broods.” (Download it from this page).
- Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)’s Brood II page has an updated map, and Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) will have a live map of the Brood II emergence, which you can contribute to.
Magicicadas won’t emerge everywhere in the states mentioned above. They might not exist in your town or neighborhood (particularly if trees were removed from your neighborhood).
More information about where the cicadas will emerge.
What is a Magicicada cicada?
Magicicada is a genus of periodical cicadas known for emerging in massive numbers in 17 or 13 year cycles/periods. The cicadas emerging in 2013 have 17 year life-cycles. Magicicada are also organized into broods. There are 12 broods of 17 year cicadas, and the brood emerging in 2013 is Brood II (Brood Two).
There are 3 species of 17-year Magicicada: M. septendecim (aka “decims”), M. cassini, and M. septendecula. The adults of all three species have black bodies with orange markings, and almost all have red-orange eyes (some have white or multi-colored eyes.
Here is some video and audio of 17-year Magicicada. This will give you an idea of what to expect:
Cicada Mania, best of 2007, part 1 by Dan from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.
More information:
- Magicicada Frequently Asked Questions
- How to tell the difference between the 17 year species
- Cicadas and Prime Numbers
- Six Cicada Experiments
- Periodical Cicada Fun Facts
- Cicada Books are a nice souvenir of a cicada emergence.
- All Magicicada posts on this site
1907 Map Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.
May 8, 2012
Look out for Brood II, Brood V and Brood XIX Stragglers
When is a 2012 Magicicada not a Brood I cicada? When it’s a straggler.
A straggler is a periodical cicada that emerges in a year before or after the year they are supposed to emerge. Typically a straggler will emerge one or four years before, or one year after the year they should have emerged. Stragglers from Broods II (due 2013), Brood V (due 2016) and Brood XIX (backin 2011) are or will emerge this year in limited numbers.
Brood II is set to emerge next year in most of central Virginia (as well as CT, MD, NC, NJ, NY, PA), Brood V will emerge in four years in Virginia and West Virginia (as well as OH, PA), and Brood XIX emerged last year in a few areas of Virginia (as well as AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN).
Stragglers present a challenge for people tracking the Brood I emergence because Brood II, Brood V and Brood XIX stragglers will emerge in the same states as Brood I cicadas. Brood II and Brood V overlap Brood I in some places.
Here is a comparison of the I,II & V Broods. The black dots represent where the cicadas have emerged historically.
Here’s a map of Brood XIX in case you are curious:
Visit Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) for more information on this phenomena, and report your cicada sightings while you’re there. Credit goes to the Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)’s Facebook post that reminded me of the stragglers.
May 31, 2009
May 26, 2009
Magicicada septendecim photos
On Monday (Memorial Day) I was lucky enough to find a lone Magicicada septendecim brood II straggler in Metuchen, NJ. This is a male, and he was about 1.5 inches or 3.8 centimeters long.
Look for orange coloring between the wing and eye to identify Magicicada septendecim:
Cicadas have 3 tiny eyes called ocelli:
Thanks to Elias for noticing the coloration behind the eye that IDs this as a decim.
May 23, 2009
Brood II Emerging in New Jersey and New York
According to messages left on this site, as well as the magicicada.org map, Brood II cicadas have emerged in New Jersey and New York. I’m in New Jersey, and I plan on looking for cicadas this weekend.
So far:
Brood II stragglers are emerging (4 years ahead of schedule) in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
Brood XIV stragglers are emerging (1 year after they’re supposed to) in Ohio.
Update:
I found some skins in Metuchen, NJ tonight. Apologies for the quality of the photo — I only had my cell phone with me.
May 20, 2009
Brood XIV stragglers confirmed as well as Brood II
So, we already know that Brood II stragglers are emerging in places like North Carolina and Virginia. Brood II cicadas weren’t due until 2013, which means the Brood II cicadas emerging now are emerging 4 years ahead of schedule.
At the same time, Brood XIV stragglers are emerging in Ohio (Batavia, Ohio to be exact). Brood XIV emerged in full-force last year, which means some Brood XIV cicadas emerging now are emerging 1 year behind schedule.
If you compare the Brood II map and Brood XIV map you’ll see they don’t overlap. Hint: open each map in a different browser or browser tab and toggle between the two.
Here’s some pictures of the Brood XIV stragglers Roy Troutman found just tonight in Batavia, Ohio.
May 15, 2009
More Brood II Straggler Reports
Sightings have been reported in Fredericksburg and Springfield Virginia on our message board (although the reports ended up in the wrong message board).
A sighting from the basement of a Staten Island home was reported on the Entomology-Cicadidae Yahoo Group.
Many people have reported sightings on the magicicada.org site, including locations in Virginia, Maryland and of course North Carolina.
Bonus points if you spot a straggler with the massospora cicadina fungus:
Finding cicadas with this fungus (which is relatively common during normal emergence years) would help disprove theories as to why they’re emerging early.
May 7, 2009
Brood II Stragglers Emerging in New Locations
John Zyla of Cicadas.info has a report of a Brood II Magicicada (decim) found in Hollywood, St. Mary’s Co, MD.
If you find a cicada make sure you report it to Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) (Dr. John Cooley), and if in the Mid-Atlantic region report it to Cicadas.info (John Zyla) as well.
I’m pretty psyched — looks like some Brood II stragglers might emerge in New Jersey.
