Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
People who have contributed cicada photos, videos or other media and information to cicadamania.com.
Santisuk Vibul sent us 3 photos of cicada tunnels/chimneys from Bangkok Thailand.
From Santisuk Vibul: “I found this cicada chimney on the lawn in front of my house on October 22, 2009. In Thailand, this month is late rainy season, there is no heavy rain and there will be no flood in the cicada tunnels, but the cicadas nymphs still build their chimneys. Some authorities said they built chimneys to stay to breathe and prepare themselves for their final molting.”
You might know Elias from his posts on the Message Board. Monday, after a lot of searching, he found a female Tibicen auletes in Lakewood New Jersey.
I was down in Lakewood NJ yesterday and after finding 5 more additional huge exuvia, the unthinkable happened. a female T. auletes flew to a light, hit the pole after circling many times and slid down to the ground. I easily captured her on the ground. Wanted to share this picture. look how beautiful she is with all that pruinosity!
Tibicen auletes are the largest of the North American Tibicen species. Their bodies a a little under 2″ long. Auletes are also know as the Sissor-Grinder, Northern Dusk-singing Cicada, or Great Dusk-calling Cicada. Read more at Bug Guide. The Songs of Insects site has sound files so you can listen and hear if you have auletes in your yard too.
Here’s Elias’ photos:
Roy Troutman took some excellent Tibicen superbus (formerly T. superba) photos while visiting Texas.
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.
Here’s something special. Roy Troutman has uploaded some HD quality videos of Magicicadas to YouTube. Click the links to see the full-size versions.
Periodical Cicada sitting on leaf in HD:
Periodical Cicada’s heart pumping in HD:
Here’s a Brood XIV Roy created as well:
Now is the time for big, meaty Tibicen cicadas, and nothing loves Tibicens more than Cicada Killer Wasps. Cicada Killer Wasps are large wasps that use living cicada bodies to nourish their wasp larvae.
People fear these wasps, but they’re not interested in people — only cicadas. They’ll only attack people if people attack them. So keep your distance, but don’t bother to kill them. Respect them, but don’t wreck them.
Prof. Chuck Holiday has the best information about these wasps.
Joe Green sent us this photo of a Cicada Killer Wasp clutching a cicada. See if you can spot the cicada under the wasp.
Matt Berger was backpacking around Yellowstone national park recently when his chanced upon this Okanagana bella:
Listen to this video of a Neocicada hieroglyphica pre-call by Joe Green.
N. hieroglyphica pre-call by Joe Green from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.
Listen to these videos of Magicicada septendecim calling by Joe Green.
M. septendecim calling by Joe Green from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.
M. septendecim calling by Joe Green from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.
