I bet you thought I was going to post another Tibicen photo! Here’s a Magicicada photo Ryan Anderson took during the 2002 brood XXIII emergence in Kentucky.
Now is a good a time as any to point out the difference between Magicicadas and Tibicens:
Magicicadas:
- Emerge in en masse in groups called broods
- There are 15 different broods. Broods emerge every 13 or 17 years depending on the brood. No broods emerged in 2006.
- Magicicadas have red eyes, black bodies and orange legs and wings
- Other names for Magicicadas: periodical cicadas, “locusts”, 17-year cicadas, 13-year cicadas
Tibicens:
- Emerge in limited numbers, and not in broods
- Emerge every year
- Tibicens are typically larger than Magicicadas. Tibicens are usually a combination of green, black, or brown.
- Other names for Tibicens: Harvest Flies, annual cicadas, Dog-Day cicadas
