Cicada Mania

Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.

March 27, 2020

Roy Troutman’s Brood XIV photos, part 4

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 3:10 pm

Brood XIV (14) Magicicada emerged in the greater Cincinnati area in 2008. Roy Troutman took many photos, and I’ll feature them in a series of galleries.

Skip to Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3.

These images are BIG so click the thumbnail to see the full-size image.

Samuel Orr filing in Roy's parent's backyard

Samuel Orr filing in Roy’s parent’s backyard

Gene Kritsky putting thermometer in the ground

Gene Kritsky putting thermometer in the ground

Gene Kritsky making a hole for a cicada thermometer

Gene Kritsky making a hole for a cicada thermometer

Cicada thermometer flag

Cicada thermometer flag

Magicicada with blue and red eyes

Magicicada with blue and red eyes. Photo by Roy Troutman. Brood XIV

Magicicada with blue and red eyes

Magicicada with blue and red eyes. Photo by Roy Troutman. Brood XIV

Magicicada with blue and red eyes

Magicicada with blue and red eyes. Photo by Roy Troutman. Brood XIV

March 26, 2020

Roy Troutman’s Brood XIV photos, part 3

Filed under: Brood XIV | Eye Color | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 8:10 pm

Brood XIV (14) Magicicada emerged in the greater Cincinnati area in 2008. Roy Troutman took many photos, and I’ll feature them in a series of galleries.

Skip to Part 1, Part 2 or Part 4.

Molting Magicicada:
Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada nymph:
Magicicada nymph. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Filming Magicicada:
Filming Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada with unusual eye colors:
Magicicada with unusual eye colors. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Filming Magicicada:
Filming Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada with unusual eye colors:
Magicicada with unusual eye colors. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Gene Kritsky:
Gene Kritsky. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Gene’s Cicada Thermometer:
Gene Kristsky's Cicada Thermometer

Molting Magicicada:
Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Adult Magicicada:
Adult Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Roy Troutman’s Brood XIV photos, part 2

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 7:55 pm

Brood XIV (14) Magicicada emerged in the greater Cincinnati area in 2008. Roy Troutman took many photos, and I’ll feature them in a series of galleries.

Skip to Part 1, Part 3 or Part 4.

Teneral Magicicada:
Teneral Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada exuvia:
Magicicada exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Molted cicada:
Molted cicada. Magicicada exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Adult Magicicada:
Adult Magicicada. Magicicada exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Adult Magicicada:
Adult Magicicada. Magicicada exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Exuvia (shell, skin):
Exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Adult Magicicada:
Adult Magicicada. Magicicada exuvia. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Cicada nymph:
Cicada nymph. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada with Massospora fungus:
Magicicada with Massospora. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Filming Magicicada:
Filming Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Roy Troutman’s Brood XIV photos, part 1

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 7:46 pm

Brood XIV (14) Magicicada emerged in the greater Cincinnati area in 2008. Roy Troutman took many photos, and I’ll feature them in a series of galleries.

Skip to Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4.

Roy’s Cicada Mania web cam!!
Cicada Mania Cam

Molting Cicadas on a Tree:
Roy Troutman. Brood XIV. Molting Cicadas on a Tree

Magicicada with white eyes:
Magicicada with white eyes. Brood XIV. Roy Troutman

Molting Magicicada:
Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada with white eyes:
Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Molting magicicada:
Molting magicicada. Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Molting magicicada:
Molting Magicicadas. Molting magicicada. Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Molting magicicada:
Molting Magicicadas. Molting Magicicadas. Molting magicicada. Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Magicicada with Massospora infection:
Magicicada with fungal infection. Molting Magicicadas. Molting Magicicadas. Molting magicicada. Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Cicada researcher Gene Kritsky:
Gene Kritsky. Magicicada with fungal infection. Molting Magicicadas. Molting Magicicadas. Molting magicicada. Magicicada with white eyes. Molting Magicicada. Roy Troutman. Brood XIV.

Samuel Orr filing in Roy’s parent’s backyard:
Samuel Orr filing in Roy's parent's backyard

Samuel Orr filing in Roy's parent's backyard

Samuel Orr filing in Roy's parent's backyard

Roy Troutman’s 1990s Cicada Photos, part 2

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 4:34 pm

This is a gallery of Roy Troutman’s cicada photos from 1990 & 1991. Most likely from the Cincinnati area of Ohio.

Skip to Part 1.

1990 Magicicada Straggler
Roy 1990 Straggler Cicada

1991 Mating Magicicadas
Roy 1991 Mating Cicadas

1991 Nymph molting
Roy 1991 Nymph Molting

1991 Nymph molting
Roy 1991 Cicada Molting

1991 Cicadas mating
Roy 1991 Cicadas Mating

1991 Cicada shell
Roy 1991 Cicada Shell

1991 Cicada drying
Roy 1991 Cicada Drying

Roy Troutman’s 1990s Cicada Photos, part 1

Filed under: Brood XIV | Megatibicen | Photos & Illustrations | Roy Troutman — Dan @ 4:25 pm

This is a gallery of Roy Troutman’s cicada photos from 1991. Most likely from the Cincinnati area of Ohio.

Skip to Part 2.

Cicada on a Buckeye leaf:
Roy 1991 Cicada on Buckeye

Magicicada nymph molting:
Roy 1991 Nymph Molting

Magicicada nymph molting silhouette with moon.
Roy 1991 Nymph Silhouette

Magicicada nymph molting:
Roy 1991 Nymph Molting

Adult Magicicada on a leaf:
Roy 1991 Cicada on Leaf

Female Laying Eggs:
Roy 1991 Female Laying Eggs

February 29, 2020

Pool filter basket filled with cicadas by Brian Oliva

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations — Dan @ 10:53 am

Pool filter basket filled with cicadas by Brian Oliva.
These are Magicicada cicadas from Brood XIV that emerged in 2008.

Pool filter basket filled with cicadas by Brian Oliva  These are Magicicada cicadas from Brood XIV that emerged in 2008

November 20, 2014

Magicicada cassini singing on hand

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Roy Troutman | Sounds | Video — Tags: — Dan @ 8:48 am

From Roy Troutman: “I shot a video back in 1991 of a 17 year Magicicada cassini singing right on my hand.”

Magicicada cassini singing on hand from Roy Troutman.

April 3, 2013

Periodical cicada Brood XIV (14) will emerge in 2025 in Thirteen States

Filed under: Brood XIV | Magicicada | Periodical — Dan @ 1:01 am

Periodical cicada Brood XIV (14) will emerge in the spring of 2025 in Georgia, Kentucky, Indiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia. The last time this brood emerged was in 2008.

What, when, where:

What:

  • Millions of these:
    Adult, Nymph Molting
  • Cicada insects with a 17-year life cycle.
  • Some people call them “locusts” but they’re really cicadas.
  • Which species: All three 17-year species, Magicicada septendecim, Magicicada cassini and Magicicada septendecula. How to tell the difference between the species.
  • NOT the green ones that arrive annually.

When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence.

Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom.

Where:

  • Georgia counties: Fannin, Lumpkin, Rabun, Union
  • Indiana counties: Crawford, Harrison, Perry
  • Kentucky counties: Anderson, Barren, Bath, Bell, Bourbon, Boyd, Bracken, Campbell, Carter, Clinton, Edmonson, Fayette, Franklin, Gallatin, Grant, Hardin, Harrison, Henderson, LaRue, Laurel, Leslie, Madison, Montgomery, Nelson, Nicholas, Pendleton, Pulaski, Rowan, Scott, Shelby, Whitley
  • Massachusetts counties: Barnstable, Plymouth
  • Maryland counties: Allegany, Washington
  • North Carolina counties: Buncombe, Burke, Caldwell, Catawba, Henderson, McDowell, Mitchell, Wilkes
  • New Jersey counties: Atlantic, Camden, Ocean (NJ records are from older literature).
  • New York counties: Nassau, Suffolk
  • Ohio counties: Adams, Brown, Butler, Clermont, Clinton, Gallia, Hamilton, Highland, Ross, Warren
  • Pennsylvania counties: Adams, Berks, Blair, Cambria, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Huntingdon, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Montour, Northumberland, Snyder, Union
  • Tennessee counties: Bledsoe, Blount, Campbell, Cheatham, Claiborne, Cocke, Coffee, Cumberland, Davidson, Grainger, Grundy, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Marion, Roane, Robertson, Rutherford, Sevier, Sumner, Williamson
  • Virginia counties: Botetourt, Lee, Russell, Scott, Smyth, Tazewell, Wise
  • West Virginia counties: Cabell, Kanawha, Mason, Mingo, Putnam, Wyoming

More Location Tips:

More facts and fun:

1907 Map Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.

Marlatt 1907 14 Brood XIV

A more modern map made by Roy Troutman:

Brood XIV Map by Roy Troutman

April 2, 2013

The most interesting 17 year cicada facts

The next major emergences are Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) in 2024. The last time these broods co-emerged was 1803.

If you have 18 minutes to spare, watch the video version of this article. Or save 18 minutes and just read it:

These are the 17 most interesting 17-year cicada facts (IMHO). All these facts apply to 13-year cicadas as well. Brood IX will emerge in 2020 in North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. Report 17-year cicada sightings using the Cicada Safari app available for Android and Apple devices.

  1. 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. The name “periodical cicadas” indicates 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. This is a true locust:
    Locust
  2. There are 13-year cicadas too: there are 13 year cicadas too! There are four species of 13-year cicadas: Magicicada tredecim, Magicicada neotredecim, Magicicada tredecassini, and Magicicada tredecula. Broods XIX, XXII and XXIII feature these cicadas.

    Here’s a video that will help you identify the various species.

  3. Eye Color: Most 17 Year Cicadas have red eyes, but they can also have white, gray, blue , or multi-colored eyes
    White Eyed Cicada
  4. Fungus: The Massospora 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 Massospora fungus is a cicada STD!
    Fungus
  5. They’ll attack land on you if you’re using a power tool or lawn mower. Cicadas think the sounds made by power tools and lawn maintenance equipment are made by cicadas. They get confused and will land on the people using the equipment! Pro-tip: cut your lawn in the early morning or near dusk when the cicadas are less active.
    Cicadas on Man
  6. Cicadas have five eyes: Cicadas have two, obvious, large, compound eyes, and three ocelli. Ocelli are three jewel-like eyes situated between the two main, compound eyes of a cicada. We believe ocelli are used to detect light and darkness. Ocelli means little eyes in Latin.
    5 eyes.
  7. 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.
    Cicada Ice Cream
  8. 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.
  9. Cicadas “eat” tree fluids: Cicadas don’t eat solid foods — instead they use their slender, straw-like mouth parts to drink tree fluids.
  10. Cicadas pee: Yes cicadas pee, so wear a hat when walking under trees if that sort of thing bothers you. Cicadas drink tree fluids and then expel the excess fluid they do now need. People call it “honeydew” or “cicada rain”.
  11. 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.
    tymbals
  12. There are billions of them: there are literally billions of 17 year cicadas. Why? One theory suggests that a large number of cicadas overwhelms predators, so predators are never able to eat them all and cicadas, and many always survive to mate. This is a survival strategy called “predator satiation”.
  13. 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 have weak, pathetic, wimpy ornamental trees in your yard you should consider placing netting around the trees if the cicadas visit your yard. Also, you can try hosing them off with water, placing insect barrier tape around the trunk of the trees, or picking them off like grapes! 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.
  14. Stragglers: Periodical cicadas that emerge in years before they are supposed to emerge are called stragglers.
    hipster cicada
  15. 17 and 13 are prime numbers. Scientist speculate that one reason why these cicadas emerge in 17 or 13 year cycles is because those are prime numbers. The fact that 13 & 17 are relatively large* prime numbers makes it difficult for predators to synchronize with them. (*Relative to the average lifespan of an animal.) Annual cicadas (cicadas that arrive every year) often have wasps specialized to prey on them; periodical cicadas have no such wasp because no wasp could evolve to synch with it.
  16. They use their color to warm up: Cicadas need to be warm to sing and fly around, but they’re cold-blooded. Their dark skin absorbs the heat of the sun, which helps to warm them up.
  17. 17 year and 13 year broods co-emerge every 221 years. Cicada Broods usually don’t overlap geographically, and it is very rare when they emerge in the same year. The next time Brood II (the brood emerging in 2013) will co-emerge with another brood will be in 2115 when it co-emerges with Brood XIX. You might need a time machine to see that happen.

Bonus: More information on the morphology of 17 and 13 year cicadas, so you can tell the difference…

Another bonus:

What is the taxonomy of the Magicicada genus?

Kingdom: Animalia (animals)
Phylum: Arthropoda (arthropods)
Subphylum: Hexapoda (hexapods)
Class: Insecta (insects)
Subclass: Pterygota (winged insects)
Infraclass: Neoptera (wing-folding insects)
Order: Hemiptera Linnaeus, 1758 (true bugs)
Suborder: Auchenorrhyncha (hoppers)
Infraorder: Cicadomorpha
Superfamily: Cicadoidea
Family: Cicadidae Latreille, 1802 (cicadas)
Subfamily: Cicadettinae Buckton, 1889
Tribe: Taphurini Distant, 1905
Subtribe: Tryellina Moulds, 2005
Genus: Magicicada Davis, 1925

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