Category: Genera

Genera of cicadas.

Life in the Undergrowth

I just finished watching the BBC mini-series Life in the Undergrowth staring several million invertebrates and David Attenborough. (I watched it in between the picnics, fireworks, and swimming that mostly occupies my time.) Fans of cicadas and land-dwelling invertebrates will love this show. Attenborough is the best when it comes to explaining the natural world to TV viewers.

BBC thoughtfully put the segment of the show about 17 year cicadas on YouTube.

I like the bit when he lures the male around by imitating the wing flicks of females.

You can buy it in the usual places, or rent it of course.

Neotibicen

Time for the yearly Neotibicen post

Post author By Dan
Post date July 3, 2009
No Comments on Time for the yearly Neotibicen post

The Tibicen is the genus of annual cicada most people are familiar with.

Lyric and Swamp Cicada

Here are some general details about Tibicen:

They emerge every summer. They do not emerge in broods.
They emerge in small numbers (small relative to periodical cicadas).
They are timid and elusive compared to periodical cicadas.
Most are physically larger than periodical cicadas.
They are well camouflaged: their colors and patterns of colors help to hide them in their surroundings. They look like little military vehicles, IMHO.
Colloquial names for Tibicens: August Dry Birds, Dog Day cicadas, Harvest Flies, Jar Flies, Bush Cicada (Tibicen dorsatus, formerly T. dorsata)

Swamp cicada

Some cool Tibicen posts and pages you should check out:

Cicada researcher Kathy Hill’s photo of 18 different Tibicen species.
It is possible to identify Tibicen just after they have molted: a visual tool to identify freshly molted Tibicens by Paul Krombholz
Tibicen anatomy page (offsite link).
All Neotibicen posts on this website.

An image from Roy Troutman:

Tibicen fresh out the shell

Tibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera)

Tibicen cholormera Cicada by CicadaMania.com

Tags N. lyricen lyricen, N. tibicen tibicen

Neotibicen Roy Troutman Tacuini (Cryptotympanini)

Superb Neotibicen superbus (formerly T. superba)

Post author By Dan
Post date June 20, 2009
4 Comments on Superb Neotibicen superbus (formerly T. superba)

Roy Troutman took some excellent Tibicen superbus (formerly T. superba) photos while visiting Texas.

Molted Neotibicen superbus from Texas photo by Roy Troutman

Molting Neotibicen superbus from Texas photo by Roy Troutman

Neotibicen superbus from Texas photo by Roy Troutman 2

Neotibicen superbus from Texas photo by Roy Troutman

Tags N. superbus

Huechys

Huechys sanguinea

Huechys sanguinea, originally uploaded by =spurdog=.

An amazing red-orange cicada. Most of the body and wings turn black when it’s done drying out, but it is just as amazing.

Brood II Magicicada Pop Culture

Magicicada photos from Sandy Aiello

Post author By Dan
Post date May 31, 2009
No Comments on Magicicada photos from Sandy Aiello

Sandy Aiello was kind enough to let us post some of her Magicicada photos on Cicadamania:

Brood II Magicicada Periodical Stragglers

Magicicada septendecim photos

Post author By Dan
Post date May 26, 2009
1 Comment on 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.

Molted Male Magicicada septendecim

Male Magicicada septendecim

Look for orange coloring between the wing and eye to identify Magicicada septendecim:

Cicadas have 3 tiny eyes called ocelli:
ocelli

Thanks to Elias for noticing the coloration behind the eye that IDs this as a decim.

Tags M. septendecim

Brood II Brood XIV Magicicada

Brood II Emerging in New Jersey and New York

Post author By Dan
Post date May 23, 2009
7 Comments on 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 (cell phones were not good in 2008).

Brood II stragglers

Brood II Brood XIV Magicicada Periodical Stragglers Roy Troutman

Brood XIV stragglers confirmed as well as Brood II

Post author By Dan
Post date May 20, 2009
No Comments on 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.

Brood II Magicicada

More Brood II Straggler Reports

Post author By Dan
Post date May 15, 2009
2 Comments on 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 (rip).

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:

Magicicada with 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.

Brood II Magicicada Periodical Stragglers

Brood II Stragglers Emerging in New Locations

Post author By Dan
Post date May 7, 2009
2 Comments on 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.