Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
Megatibicen dorsatus is arguably the most beautiful cicada in the United States. Even it its teneral (meaning soft) form right after molting, in is visually impressive.
These three photos were taken by Greg Holmes of a Megatibicen dorsatus in its post-molting, teneral state.
These are photos of a Magicicada septendecim with yellow-white eyes, which is rare, but you can usually find one or two if you spend enough time looking for them. The photos were taken during the 2013 Brood II emergence in Metuchen, NJ.
Photos of Brood V Magicicada in West Virginia by Matt Berger, including many examples of Magicicadas with a variety of eye colors (the typical color is red).
Brood V emerged in West Virginia (and Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and Long Island, NY) in 2016. It will next emerge in 2033.
These photos are BIG. Click/tap the thumbnail for larger versions.
Matt has contributed photos to cicadamania.com for many years. In 2016 he was a post-grad student at West Virginia University. The lab he was part of produced this paper:
Discovery of psychoactive plant and mushroom alkaloids in ancient fungal cicada pathogens
Greg R. Boyce, Emile Gluck-Thaler, Jason C. Slot, Jason E. Stajich, William J. Davis, Tim Y. James, John R. Cooley, Daniel G. Panaccione, Jørgen Eilenberg, Henrik H. De Fine Licht, Angie M. Macias, Matthew C. Berger, Kristen L. Wickert, Cameron M. Stauder, Ellie J. Spahr, Matthew D. Maust, Amy M. Metheny, Chris Simon, Gene Kritsky, Kathie T. Hodge, Richard A. Humber, Terry Gullion, Dylan P. G. Short, Teiya Kijimoto, Dan Mozgai, Nidia Arguedas, Matt T. Kasson
bioRxiv 375105; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/375105
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:
Magicicada nymph:
Filming Magicicada:
Magicicada with unusual eye colors:
Filming Magicicada:
Magicicada with unusual eye colors:
Gene Kritsky:
Gene’s Cicada Thermometer:
Molting Magicicada:
Adult Magicicada:
Roy Troutman has been a cicada fan since he was a kid. Here’s some of his cicada photos from the 1980s:
1980: Neotibicen nymph.
1981. Tibicen exuvia (skins).
1982. Roy and a Neotibicen.
1983. Immature Magicicadas.
1983. Immature Magicicada.
