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Annual Old Message Board

2009 Archive of Annual Cicada Sightings

I live beside a creek in Stroud area NSW.
Cicadas have been sparse here 2007, 2008 but are deafening again this year … outside work without earplugs is painful due to “song” rain, drizzle or sunny. Loudest with early dawn 1/2 hour crescendo chorus that subsides briefly (approx hour) to begin again unbroken till dusk.
Any idea when they will subside (till next season)?
They began singing in earnest this year approx mid November.
They are great bait for creek Perch but I’m “over” their song.

Comment by helen Gillard — December 30, 2009 [AT] 5:41 pm

Dante- Black princes do have some red “stripes” on them- the colour fades a bit as they age. di you put it on your curtain for a bit?
David.

Comment by David E — December 16, 2009 [AT] 4:49 pm

Hi well i found a black prince cicada that just came out of its shell an hour ago and its just found its colour black but do the red stripes on it mean anything?

Comment by Dante — December 16, 2009 [AT] 2:01 pm

Hello Sam.
I will particpate in your cricket survey.
Have some species in my yard and also in nearby parks. I wonder if we can organize this for cicadas. It would be very helpful! In NYC I have documented Tibicen chlormera, Tibicen lyricen and Tibicen linnei. Tibicen auletes reportedly lived in Staten Island as per William T. Davis. Tibicen cannicularis once lived here but since the pines are gone, I don’t think they are around anymore. We can really hone in on ranges of Tibicen cicadas in NY.

Comment by Elias — September 1, 2009 [AT] 3:02 pm

People interested in Cicadas might be interested in applying what we are doing with crickets and katydids to cicada surveys.

http://www.discoverlife.org/cricket

Thanks

sam

Comment by Sam Droege — August 31, 2009 [AT] 7:21 am

I live in
Somerville, Massachusetts

behind an/the historic revolutionary war fort/castle
Prospect Hill
There are Alot of Cicadas here!
Blue, Grey Flannel
& individually are Very loud..shreiking
individusal ones I find alive stuck to my garage & in my driveway
the canopy of trees is so loud sometimes too usually in the pm

Comment by Nancy — August 28, 2009 [AT] 9:54 pm

That is a strange scenario Rosalind. An additional hypothesis to explain this situation is that the cicada that landed on him may have done so by chance. It was likely very hungry and mistook your son for a branch on a tree. They will try to stick their beak into what they think is a branch and that can potentially hurt. It is non intentional.

Comment by Elias — August 28, 2009 [AT] 9:22 pm

Hi — if the cicada in the bag was the one making the sound, the other cicada was probably a female wishing to mate with it.

Comment by Dan — August 27, 2009 [AT] 12:53 pm

I don’t know anything about cicadas! Here is the story: My 8th grader gets extra credit in science for bringing in interesting bugs. I found (what I now know was a cicada) on my porch on it’s back….Dead. Or at least I thought so. I put it in a baggie and left it on the counter overnight. This morning when I handed the baggie to my son, the baggie MOVED and made the LOUDEST sound! Scared me to death. So, cicada in the baggie — not so dead. My son took the baggie with his in his hand to the bus stop. Now, here is where it gets interesting. A cicada flies out of nowhere and lands on my son’s shoulder — and then “sticks” him right after the baggie cicada makes the loud sound again! I can see the mark it left through his t-shirt! Was the other cicada trying to save the baggie cicada???

Comment by Rosalind — August 27, 2009 [AT] 12:15 pm

Met up with Cathy who lives in Coram, New York yesterday. Met her last year during the Brood XIV emergence. Not sure if Tibicen auletes lives in her neighborhood. She may have heard one last year. Additionally may have T. lyricen and T. canicularis too. I think she is catching CICADAMANIA!! Welcome aboard Cathy!

Comment by Elias — August 23, 2009 [AT] 8:52 pm

T. chloromera and T. linnei with a few T. lyricen calling loudly in NY at this time. Excellent year for T. chloromera. Found 7 T. auletes nymphal shells in New Jersey. No luck getting a specimen yet. Glad the message board is back on!!

Comment by Elias — August 18, 2009 [AT] 8:11 am

Heard a very light Tibicen chloromera chorus today in Queens New York. Been waiting a long time!!!

Comment by Elias — July 19, 2009 [AT] 7:25 am

Today is July 13. First Tibicen cicada of the season found. Tibicen chloromera female. 10 dyas behind schedule here in NY!

Comment by Elias — July 13, 2009 [AT] 8:35 pm

Today is July 3rd. The first Tibicen lyricen was heard calling high up in Alley Pond Park (New York). Cicada season has officially started in the North!

Comment by Elias — July 3, 2009 [AT] 10:06 pm

Thanks Elias

Comment by Drachenfanger — July 2, 2009 [AT] 3:34 am

http://www.musicofnature.com/songsofinsects/iframes/specieslist.html

The website

Comment by Elias — July 1, 2009 [AT] 8:49 pm

Guten tag Drachenfanger! Glad you are enjoying our cicadas. A very useful website is “Songs of Insects”. Go to the lower right and click on the cicadas’ species and you will see a large picture with a recording of the call. It is very helpful to figure out which member of the choruis is singing. I visited Deutschland in 1988 and when I was in Bavaria, I believe I did hear a cicada call. they were definitely not as common or as load as here in the US. So I was an Auslaender back then too LOL! Enjoy your stay here in the States.

Comment by Elias — July 1, 2009 [AT] 8:49 pm

Thanks for determining the Type. Today is the loudest day but I assume it is not the peak of loudness. Anyway cool experience for an Auslaender as I am.

Comment by Drachenfanger — July 1, 2009 [AT] 5:56 pm

I agree! The pictures are nice. It has a black pronotal color. I think this is a female Tibicen lyricen. Very nice. Still waiting for Tibicens to come up in New York. It has been extremely rainy here in the North East!

Comment by Elias — July 1, 2009 [AT] 4:36 am

Cool Tibicen photos Drachenfanger.

Comment by Dan — June 30, 2009 [AT] 8:41 pm

Found several cicadas in Virginia Beach two weeks ago. Exciting.

Here some picture I have taken: http://agiesea.blogspot.com/2009/06/was-ist-das-fur-ein-insekt.html

Comment by Drachenfanger — June 30, 2009 [AT] 6:00 pm

I wonder what cadas eat other than tree sap? I AM 12 HAHAHAH

Comment by erica — June 30, 2009 [AT] 9:34 am

I found a cicada in sundre AB. only cicada I’ve evr seen its really weak

Comment by eriaca — June 30, 2009 [AT] 9:25 am

There are many cicadas around Carrollton TX and very many shells

Approxiamatly 50 in my yard.

Comment by Davis B — June 22, 2009 [AT] 2:12 pm

Where was this Hemda?

Comment by Elias — May 30, 2009 [AT] 7:34 pm

this morning I found many cicadas (about 30) stuck to my brick front around the garage. Some wings on the driveway. None were flying at that time and some looked like they were molting.

Comment by Hemda G — May 15, 2009 [AT] 9:42 am

We’ve had at least 60 cicadas on our grass and all over our cars in our driveway the past two days. Many in various stages. What’s weird is that I don’t see any on our neighbor’s property. We do have a very large tree in our front yard. I’m not sure if that has anything to do with it. We live in Springfield, VA (Northern VA).

Comment by Liz Merck — May 15, 2009 [AT] 7:00 am

We have seen cicada’s at our home in Fredericksburg Virginia.

Comment by Judy Johnson — May 10, 2009 [AT] 3:18 am

http://www.flickr.com/photos/37290005 [AT] N07/3431631308/

This isn’t really much of a sighting as much as it’s a picture of my arm with a cicada tattoo. I originally foung my idea for this on your site while looking through all of the different pictures.

Comment by Kate — April 11, 2009 [AT] 6:20 am

Categories
Annual Old Message Board

2008 Archive of Annual Cicada Sightings

Although this post compiles Annual cicada sightings from 2008, is some Magicicada Brood XIV talk in the July-May comments. Comments are in reverse order.

Hello Elias,

Unfortunately, I saw no cicadas in Puerto Rico although I believe I heard one. However, I brought back some wasps and nests.

I had seen some pictures of cicadas from Puerto Rico, but I’ll check the website you mentioned.

I hope you have some success in Florida!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — November 3, 2008 [AT] 5:16 pm

Hello Bob,

Going to Minnesota on business for a few days. No cicadas there. Then to Florida next weekend — possible T. davisi still alive there. This will be investigated.

There is a website on Purto Rican cicadas that I posted to Gerry’s Cicada Forum. I hope that is helpful. I wonder if you would have specimens for trade etc. Would love to see some Puerto Rican specimens.

Highly recommend the Davis collection. Saw 50 T. auletes in one box!! and there are over 30000 specimens in there! Must return soon.

Have a safe trip.
Elias

Comment by Elias — October 24, 2008 [AT] 6:21 pm

Hello Elias,

It looks as if you had a great time all around! It will be neat to see some of your photos!

I visited the Mississippi
State Univ. Entomology Museum. There were quite a few specimens, including many T. resonans and auletes. I tried taking a digital photo of one of the resonans, but I suspect most of the specimens had faded somewhat. There were many rather dark specimens labeled T. sayi that looked like chloromera (with the long tymbal covers).

I thought I heard a male calling in Birmingham (something like chloromera), but I didn’t see nor hear anything in MS or southern AL, possibly due to the arrival of the strong cold front—temps only reached about 70 F, with nights about 50.

I head to Puerto Rico this weekend. Good luck in Florida!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — October 20, 2008 [AT] 7:05 pm

Hello Bob,

The Davis museum was an absolute blast. So many cicadas, so little time. I spent yesterday in Brookhaven digging up first instar nymphs. It was interesting to see some put up a weak defense by waving their foreleg claws at you from their minute feeding chambers. Snapped tons of pictures of this not often observed period of life.

Going to Florida at the end of the month. Hiopefully T. davisi is still active. Need to obtain some specimens!
Hope all is well in Alabama. Take care
Elias

Comment by Elias — October 19, 2008 [AT] 10:36 am

Hello Elias,

That should be extremely interesting to see the Davis collection.
Please give my regards to Gerry; I’ll get back in touch with him sometime after I finish travelling.

It appears the weather will be a bit cool in Alabama, especially when I get a chance to travel around during the weekend, so I won’t hold my breath regarding seeing any cicadas!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — October 14, 2008 [AT] 2:15 pm

Hello Bob,

No cicadas here. Have to go to Brookhaven one more time to observe first instars. WIll try to look for stragglers next May/June.

Wishing you a lot of luck finding T. davisi. I saw in Beamer’s paper on cicadas of kansas that many species are active into October there. Perhaps Alabama should bear fruit. Cicadas of Puerto Rico should be very interesting.

I am going to the Staten Island Museum tomorrow to view W.T. Davis’s collection. Supposedly over 60,000 cicadas there. Been planning this for a while. Gerry from Massachusetts Cicadas is coming too. Should be a lot of fun.

All the best,
Elias

Comment by Elias — October 13, 2008 [AT] 7:29 pm

Hello Elias,

I haven’t heard any cicadas for a couple weeks now. Other than for finding exuviae in VA and NC, the season is over here.

However, I will be going to AL later this week, and with a little luck I may be able to find at least T. davisi.

In a couple weeks I am going to Puerto Rico, so maybe I’ll see species I haven’t seen before.

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — October 13, 2008 [AT] 4:19 pm

Hello Bob,

Very interesting! Wish I was still hearing cicadas. I was down in Atlantic City this weekend but the weather was very rainy all three days. I am not sure if T. latisfasciata comes that far north but its possible.

T pruinosa and variants appear very similar to T linnei which makes this business confusing! Sometimes that coastal wing margin bend is not as pronounced on a linnei specimen. I know this because I only have linnei here and no pruinosa so I can observe every variety and every smaller nymph turns out to be a T. linnei. There are very subtle differences between T. pruinosa, t. winnemanna and latisfascaiata. I think Kathy Hill gave me a nice summary and I will try to locate that email.

I intend to visit the Staten Island Museum collection which house one of the largest collections in the world put together by the cicada pioneer William T. Davis. That should be very interesting to see.

Take care for now,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 30, 2008 [AT] 7:02 am

Hello Elias,

This weekend I heard T. linnei in Columbus, and both linnei and chloromera near Loveland (NE of Cincinnati, along the Little Miami River trails). The weather was warm and sunny. On the Ohio State Univ. campus I collected three exuviae, one appearing small enough to be canicularis.

I had a brief opportunity to take a hurried look at the cicadas in the OSU insect collection. I saw specimens that looked exactly like those I have found in NC that resemble T. linnei with a straighter forewing and more blunt tymbal covers, and these were labeled as T. robinsoniana. If this is what I have, then those larger, greener ones are probably T. winnemanna. (Some that resembled them were labeled pruinosa.) In any case, I hope I can spend more time there and with other collections in the near future!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 29, 2008 [AT] 4:34 pm

Hello Bob,

If T. cannicularis is out there thats a possibility. Here in western Long Island all is quiet except crickets and katydids. Out east, T. cannicularis was still calling. I will make one more trip. I need to photograph some more 1st instars and want to dig in an area that has Brood V (very weird location) which is sympatric with Brood XIV in Brookhaven. I hope to unearth some of those mature nymphs. Will keep you updated.

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 23, 2008 [AT] 8:08 pm

Hello Elias,

I will be going to Ohio later this week and weekend, so I will be interested in hearing if anything is still calling there. I’ll be in Columbus and in Cincinnati.

Maybe you can check that sight every year to see if you can find larger nymphs!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 23, 2008 [AT] 5:51 pm

Hello Bob,

Here in NY, the cicada activity has nearly ceased. In my area, T. chloromera and T. linnei are the dominant species and I have heard nothing from them.

I went to Brookhaven yesterday with a group of cicada enthusiasts and researchers to examine first instar nymphs. We dug beneath trees in areas that were pretty heavily flagged. I found sifting through the most superficial layer where the rootlets were was the highest yield. In one spot I found 11! Brought a 10X jewelers loupe which revealed the darker eye spots, long antennae, clawlike forelegs, spindly legs and the beak by which they feed. Additionally they have these fine hairy projections all over their body. This is my third time this emergence seeing first instars. This is a stage I have never witnessed before. The loupe helps as they appear very small to the naked eye.

The nice part is that T. canicularis was calling in the distance, a reminder that we are still hanging on to a piece of summer!

Talk to you soon.

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 22, 2008 [AT] 4:03 am

Hello Elias,

I captured a male of D. viridifascia at the end of June in S Florida, and heard many others. I don’t know the song of D. olympusa in the field although I have heard it on the websites.

This weekend I went to eastern NC, including Greenville where I heard several T. davisi; they seemed to be calling mostly from loblolly pines (P. taeda). Along the way to the coast from Raleigh I heard a couple T. winnemanna in the Goldsboro area.

Back in Greensboro we found one dead female T. chloromera. Otherwise, I think the season is heading toward the end, although some days are cooler so the remaining male cicadas might not be calling even if present.

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 21, 2008 [AT] 7:14 pm

Hello Bob,

I look forward to Florida. I have heard Diceroprocta olympusa and Diceroprocta viridifascia while I was there in June. By looking at the charts of activity on the Northern Florida Cicada site, they can be active into october, especially davisi. That parallels T. canicularis here in the north which persists late in the season.

Will return to Brookhaven possibly this weekend to follow up on the first instars. I was thinking of getting a microscope and viewing the speicmens live to see if I could see the eyes.

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 19, 2008 [AT] 7:26 am

Hello Elias,

I should put my hatchlings under a microscope to see if I can see red eyes. However, it’s possible the alcohol preservative may have affected the color.

I heard T. chloromera and davisi today in Lenoir, NC. By the way, I have a female T. davisi collected Oct 9 (1994) in Beaufort Co., NC, although it has rather battered wings; however, this suggests you should be able to find this species in Florida, too.

Take care,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 18, 2008 [AT] 5:19 pm

Hello Bob,

Heard T. linnei and T. chloromera over the weekend. The calling frequency has dropped dramatically. Hoping to go to Fl. in October so I may be able to come in contact with some different species.

I will return this weekend to see the first instars. They are very interesting! They have red eyes at birth too which is cool. I am thinkng of getting a microscope to really study their morphology.

Stay in touch
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 17, 2008 [AT] 4:31 pm

Hello Elias,

This past weekend in Greensboro I heard T. winnemanna, a couple auletes, davisi, robinsoniana, and several linnei. Although I found some exuviae (mainly on the ground, probably fallen from the trees), I found no dead adults. This morning in Lenoir, NC I heard a single chloromera. The activity is slowing down a bit but there there.

All the exuviae I have found in Greensboro were of moderate size—that is, no davisi nor auletes.

By the way, I’m impressed with your having found hatchlings among rootlets, as you had reported earlier!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 15, 2008 [AT] 5:45 pm

There was a Tibicen on my brick wall in Akron Ohio this morning. We had a bad wind storm throughout northeast Ohio. It appeared to be fully grown does this mean they are coming, going or just a fluke? I have a few pictures of it.
Thanks Tony

Comment by Tony — September 15, 2008 [AT] 4:35 am

Last night,my buddy and i caught a 17 year cicada while digging to make a dirt ramp for my bike.
he put it in a 156 gallon tank and he hopes to keep it.

Comment by gavin — September 14, 2008 [AT] 8:33 am

Last night,my buddy and i caught a 17 year cicada while digging to make a dirt ramp for my bike.
he put it in a 156 gallon tank and he hopes to keep it.

Comment by gavin — September 14, 2008 [AT] 8:32 am

Hello Laura,

You can learn a lot on this site. The cicada is a fascinating insect and it was around 5 yrs old that I began my fascination. I am now 35!! Stick with it, and send us some pictures. All the best from NY to MI!
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 9, 2008 [AT] 9:17 pm

Hello again Elias, Thankyou for your help, I took your advice & went to Roy Troutman’s Gallery. It was a Tibicen! Im still very excited. I have only ever been able to hear them never saw one & to share this experience with my 5yr old son who loves bugs of any kind was truly a memorable one. Laura, Springport, MI.

Comment by Laura — September 9, 2008 [AT] 11:50 am

Greetings all:

I am looking for any information on the location of Tibicen auletes on Long Island or Staten Island, New York.
Please review this picture/call of T. auletes. They like sandy soil and oak trees and call mainly at dusk.
http://www.musicofnature.com/songsofinsects/iframes/cicadas/popup_tibiaule.html
Please tell me what town or nearby place you hear them or you can email me directly at epb471 [AT] yahoo.com. The goal is to update nearly 100 year old databases on this elusive species. Thank you!! ELIAS

Comment by Elias — September 7, 2008 [AT] 6:49 pm

Angie,

I kept one for 13 days after emergence. Fresh twigs from hardwood trees should be provided so the cicada can suck the juices from the twigs.

In what geographic area are you finding these?

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 2, 2008 [AT] 3:04 pm

We have been finding lots of shells and cicadas in our yard. My 4 year old daughter has become quite the enthusiast. We saw one last night crawling in the grass with shell intact and this morning the shell was shed and the beautiful cicada was right next to it! Very cool. How long after they shed their shells do they typicall live and what do they eat as adults? Thanks!

Comment by Angie — September 2, 2008 [AT] 12:11 pm

Hello Elias,

This photo is definitely not of chloromera. I would say it is the “typical” form of lyricen (which, admittedly, varies somewhat, too!). Besides the coloration, the tymbal covers are proportionately much smaller than those on chloromera. By the way, this IS a beautiful photo!

My immediate “objective” is to develop proficiency in recognizing all the species of Tibicen found in the eastern half of the US. After that, I want to learn all the Tibicen in the entire US as well as the Diceroprocta and other genera. This will all prove helpful in compiling distribution records so we can all learn more about where each species occurs.

By the way, I have both my green (virescens?) form and engelhardti in Lenoir, which suggests sympatry. In the University of Georgia collection I saw almost nothing but engelhardti (most from Athens, Atlanta, etc.), just one “typical” lyricen (but unfortunately I didn’t note the locality) but none of the green form.

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 2, 2008 [AT] 9:29 am

I noticed a cicada on the side of my home in Sussex County NJ on 9/1/08. It was the size of a small hummingbird, mostly an iridescent green/blue and made a clicking sound when flying away. I have noticed the empty shells around the yard since last year.

Comment by Judi — September 2, 2008 [AT] 8:37 am

Hello Bob,

I have heard that T. lyricen var. engelhardti has a predomiance in certain areas. I have only captured one here in NY so the regular morph is more dominant here.
The one picture I have seen is a mis-identified T. chloromera on Bug Guide. It has a clear ventral brown stripe which chlormera never exhibits. I have been told that this is most likely T. virescens. I think engelhardti has been discounted as a separate species. The terminology in the cicada world is definitely not user friendly! LOL. Tell me what you think of this beautiful pic:
http://bugguide.net/node/view/190626/bgimage

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 2, 2008 [AT] 6:00 am

Hello Elias,

Thanks! I try that approach. I’ve collected T. l. engelhardti in Lenoir and I’ve seen specimens from Georgia. I suspect both this and virescens may be distinct species from T. l. lyricen. I never suspected my green specimens could be virescens (although the epithet certainly fits the coloration!) I’ve been unable to find any photos on the internet so far. In any case, I’ll let you know what I find out!

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 1, 2008 [AT] 7:46 pm

Hello Bob,

I think linnei have to have that costal margin bend which is an essential element of that key.

I wonder if the larger greener specimens are Tibicen lyricen var. virescens. Not sure if this variety was made a species yet. Lyricen are larger than linnei or pruinosa, have the ventral brown band and have this greenish morph that I think was reported from Florida. Would be best to ask the crew from Storrs with pictures. That is my suspicion. Tell me what you find.
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 1, 2008 [AT] 7:27 pm

Hello Elias (and other interested readers),

I was looking at my collection and I realized something—I have T. linnei (from NC and elsewhere) with their characteristic sharp bends in the costal veins of the forewings. However, I have a few other specimens from NC of similar coloration and size but with lesser bends and rather flatter ends on the tymbal covers in the males, and the latter specimens strongly resemble those I collected in eastern Nebraska and Kansas that were making the “scissor-grinder” calls, so I assume these NC specimens are actually winnemanna. What I’m finding confusing is that I also have some larger, greener NC specimens (more extensively green on the thorax, and with some green on the abdominal segments) that I assume are still another species. These specimens are slightly larger than chloromera but much smaller than auletes.

Can anyone put a name on these larger green specimens, and is my interpretation of the others correct? I can take photos if that will be of help.

Thanks,
Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — September 1, 2008 [AT] 7:09 pm

I know the Tibicen don’t hatch in broods, but you would never know it here in the Hyde Park area of Cincinnati. They seem to be everywhere and you can hear their songs coming from every tree in the neighborhood.

I was out for a bike ride this morning and got whacked in the cheek by a Tibicen. Let me tell you, know that I’ve experienced both, that’s nothing like getting hit by a Magicicada. That Tibicen was MEATY. Felt like someone lobbed a rock at my face!

Comment by Tom L — September 1, 2008 [AT] 6:41 pm

Hello Bob,

Very nice!! I am looking forward to my Florida trip as the South appears very much alive. Here in NY, the chloromera and linnei chorus has dropped in intensity. I managed to find a mangled chlormera male on the ground yesterday. Also found a female on its back that appeared to be dying. Put her on a maple sapling and she readily began to feed. As I was leaving, a male began calling at only 4 feet above the ground. Coaxed him into my net and took him home. What a nice surprise. He called 1x in the Butterfly Pavillion. At night searched Morgan’s Park and Crocheron Park, no nymphs. It seems like the season is slipping away. Good luck getting some of those very interesting species! (Robbinsonia, Winnemanna, Davisi are species I have never seen).

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — September 1, 2008 [AT] 3:40 am

Hello Elias,

This past weekend in Greensboro, I heard T. chloromera, winnemanna, linnei, robbinsoniana, and even a couple auletes and a davisi. Late this morning, as I was searching under trees for dead cicadas, hearing several robbinsoniana calling made me feel frustrated! (I have become effectively blind in one eye, so it is nearly impossible to focus on anything sitting in a tree, and even searching on the ground is rather tricky unless there is a lot of sunlight.) I found only a completely decayed davisi and a somewhat battered winnemanna on the ground. Rainy weather made things rot, and then the mowers finished off anything else before I could get out! I’ll try again next week.

However, I found a small number of exuviae that I’m certain weren’t there last week.

The chloromera I found last Saturday died this Saturday.

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 31, 2008 [AT] 7:12 pm

Hello Bob,

Yesterday was cool and overcast. 72 degrees and no nymphs. This morning has rained heavily. Hoping there are some more nymphs waiting underground. Heard a few linnei with the “Cold Temperature” call. We shall keep posted. May have to go to FLorida soon so looking forward to that!

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 30, 2008 [AT] 1:24 am

Hello Elias,

Last Saturday I picked up a few more exuviae from trees I had examined before, so I believe they are, but I will see if there are any new ones this weekend!

Have a safe one!

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 29, 2008 [AT] 1:00 pm

Hello Bob,

I am sorry. I got you confused with Mike from Western PA. He stated that he heard pruinosa in Philadelphia. This is of tremendous interest to me as Philadelphia is closer to NY and I could conceivably make a quick day trip out there.

Do you still have nymphs coming out in NC. Caught 1 T. linnei female yesterday.

Enjoy the labor day weekend!
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 29, 2008 [AT] 12:56 pm

Hello Elias,

Ho, I’ve never heard pruinosa/winnemanna in Philadelphia. I’ve heard (and seen) chloromera and linnei there. I looked back at my earlier messages here but I can’t find a mention of pr/wi in Philadelphia; or did I say this elsewhere? (If I did, I guess I “misspoke”! Please let me know where so I can figure out if I’m going senile!)

This morning in Lenoir, NC I heard chloromera, linnei and davisi. I’ll be in Greensboro this week so it will be interesting to see what I can find there!

Have a great weekend!

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 29, 2008 [AT] 10:46 am

Hello Bob,

Earlier you said pruinosa/winnemanna live in Philadelphia. Is this confirmed or no? I would make a trip to hear them Philadelphia is not too far.

Caught a female linnei eclosing tonight. She is hanging out on my finger and just folded her wings into the adult roof like pattern. This never gets old. The amount of nymphs has clearly declined.

Good night,
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 28, 2008 [AT] 6:56 pm

Hello Elias,

The farthest east I have heard pruinosa/winnemanna in the northeastern US would be the ones in Pittsburgh. I don’t recall ever having heard it in NE NJ—that was “chloromera country”. Of course in North Carolina winnemanna is abundant in the eastern part of the state.

I made a mistake in an earlier message—the Maury River goes through Buena Vista, VA—not the Shenandoah.

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 28, 2008 [AT] 3:17 pm

Green Grocers are an Australian species. Take a look at Roy Troutman’s gallery of Tibicen cicadas here. https://www.cicadamania.com/gallery19.html

The newly emerged adult, known as a teneral, is usually a beautiful shade of green. They will darken by the morning. Hope that helps!

Comment by Elias — August 27, 2008 [AT] 2:55 pm

I saw what looked EXACTLY like the photos of the Green Grocer you have on this site yesterday emerging from its exoskeleton. It was on a weeping willow tree in my back yard, my son & I watched it for approx 1/2 hour to 45 min. It was the most unusual bright green I have ever seen. I have never seen one emerging only ever saw the exoskeleton. We live in Springport Michigan. Is it possible that this was a Green Grocer???? Laura

Comment by Laura — August 27, 2008 [AT] 9:07 am

Hello Bob,

Heard a cannicularis call out in Brookhaven yesterday. Looking for more first instar Magicicada nymphs but found none. It seems that the hatching process has ended. I really wanted to see the so called “nymnph rain”. I am glad I saw them took lots of video and pictures.

Caught a chlormera yesterday by the Bay. It was cool so surprised he called. If ti wasnt for chloromera I would not be into this hobby. They are the most interactive of the Tibicens. Tried to get him to call with recordings of other chloromera. He performed the starting part of the call but never got into the whole oscillating portion.

No nymphs in the park yesterday. Hope the season is not over. How far east have you heard Pruinosa/Winnemanna?

Be well
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 27, 2008 [AT] 4:37 am

Hello Elias,

I’ve heard canicularis and lyricens in central PA the past few days, and now in Pittsburgh this afternoon I heard lyricens and winnemanna (or pruinosa). The chloromera I collected as a nymph over two weeks ago in Virginia died this past Saturday, so I had kept it alive as an adult almost two full weeks. I have a live male chloromera I found on the ground in Greensboro just before I left for PA. (I also found a headless, but still living, linnei on the ground in Greensboro.) In PA my father was shaving yesterday with a rather loud electric razor and the chloromera (inside a plastic bag with cuttings) started singing along, and stopped after the razor was turned off! Last Saturday I drove on US 60 to the Blue Ridge Parkway, just E of the town of Buena Vista, VA; and heard canicularis near the summit, among pines. Along the Shenandoah River just west of that town I heard winnemanna. Tomorrow I return to NC, but with the rainy weather I probably won’t encounter anything. However, I’ve been collecting almost all the exuviae I’ve been able to find; perhaps I can figure out to identify all the species from them.

I’m glad you are having some luck finding live nymphs!

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 26, 2008 [AT] 6:27 pm

Hello Bob,

Captured two nymphs yesterday, Tibicen chloromera and Tibicen linnei. Both females. Cool morning today (70 deg) with few calling. Managed to get a male chloromera to walk into my net and transported him home. I have him in the “Butterfly Pavillion” which is excellent for keeping cicadas. Have to drive east for canicularis. I have seen only one nymph of canicularis eclose that I obtained in Connecticut.

Auletes seems like a distant dream. Maybe next year!
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 26, 2008 [AT] 8:57 am

Hello Elias,

Sorry you’ve had no luck with auletes! In central PA I’ve always noticed that canicularis exuviae are almost always on conifers (I’ve usually found them on cultivated spruces) and the adults seem to sing from them, too. Otherwise, I don’t generally think of conifers as cicada-food!

Good luck to you, too!

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 22, 2008 [AT] 9:19 am

Hello Bob,

The staten Island Auletes hunt has been frustrating. Spent time in Wolfe’s Pond Park which is absolutely gorgeous. The linnei chorus was strong but no other species called. Found some smaller exuvia too. May shift my focus back to eastern long island where I heard them and where I found an exuvium last year.

I have to capture canicularis in NY too. They have a liking for pine forests as some literature suggests they dissapear from mixed forests when the pines are eradicated. Found one eclosing in Sleeping Giant State Park Connecticut, just outside, where there were so many exuvia too!! Trying to find an equivalent of that site in NY.

Not too much time left, so hopefully we get what we need before the end of the season. Good luck!

All the best,
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 22, 2008 [AT] 4:19 am

Hello Elias,

I hope you are successful in finding some auletes, preferably a live nymph!

Last year I found a dead adult male in excellent condition in Greensboro. I wish I could find a robbinsoniana!

I’m heading to Pennsylvania again this weekend until Wednesday AM. I’d be happy to find a canicularis adult, either live or dead!

Best regards,
Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 21, 2008 [AT] 7:43 pm

Hello Bob,

I happened upon an exuvium from T. auletes on an oak tree in Wading River last year. I have searched hundreds of trees in Wildwood Park (the only place I have heard them) and never found one! Found tons of T. lyricen exuvia but no auletes. WIldwood is a unique place as it has sandy soil and there are no canicularis, chlromera and linnei. Now without lyricen, auletes is the dominant species and they sing only at around 8PM. Never heard auletes call during the day.

I have noticed some definite variability in the size of the exuvia. For example I have had some larger chlromera and one just as as small as a linnei. Canicularis are the smallest of the tibicens here.

I am so interested in collecting more auletes exuvia. My goal is to find a nymph and film the eclose process. I will return to the land of Davis (Staten Island) tomorrow. Hopefully I will have some luck. Be well and have a great evening.

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 20, 2008 [AT] 8:30 pm

Hello Elias,

I have some evuviae of canicularis and a known chloromera that I can use for comparison with the batch I just collected. I’ve only collected two exuviae of auletes in my lifetime.

I haven’t times the calling period of auletes, but I have heard them about the hours you suggested—approaching dusk. However, as i recall, it has only been for short periods.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 20, 2008 [AT] 2:47 pm

Hello Bob,

I have done the same with exuvia. Here in North east Queens County, Tibicen chloromera and linnei dominate. The exuvia for chloromera are larger than linnei. Lyricen is somewhere in between and I hear more of this species further east. Canicularis has smaller exuvia then all the species mentioned and they are found further east as well. Then there is Tibicen auletes. I have been lucky enough to find one exuvium last year in Wading River on an Oak tree. I heard them call at Wildwood Park but no nymphs or exuvia yet. This species has frustrated me. Bob — when have you heard them calling? Here auletes calls between 7:57PM up to 8:30PM sometimes calling for only 3 — 5 minutes and at most a half hour. No specimens collected yet.

Comment by Elias — August 19, 2008 [AT] 8:12 pm

TOday was a great day. Went to Brookhaven along the William Floyd Parkway and found 1st instar nymphs. I went under branches that had evidience of ovipositing (dead “flagged” branches). Then I laid a black material underneath (a discarded garbage bag I found discarded in the forest). I shook the branch and there they were! They are the size of ants and move at a moderate spped. Took lots of nice photos and videos. This is a stage of their lifecycle I had never seen before. They are so small and fragile.

Comment by Elias — August 19, 2008 [AT] 8:08 pm

This past weekend I tried to see how many cicadas and exuviae I could find in Greensboro, NC. In addition to hearing chloromera during the brightest part of the day, there are robbinsoniana, linnei, winnemanna and a few auletes during the evening. By searching around the trees, I have found a few dead males of linnei and chloromera, one of the latter in nearly perfect condition. I completely filled a sandwich ziploc bag with exuviae, but what I would like to know is why I find most of them on the cultivated Leyland cypresses but very few few on the hardwoods. (One Leyland cypress had some 30 or 40 on or underneath it!) I find most of the adults under red maples and especially willow oaks, but the latter are the largest trees there so serve as natural targets. I certainly would like to know which species is on developing on the cypress roots! By the way, all of them are about the same size. In addition, it’s frustrating to hear the robbinsoniana without so far I having found a single dead one!

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 18, 2008 [AT] 5:57 pm

Thanx Bob for the helpful information I will check that link out..

Comment by Jewells — August 13, 2008 [AT] 4:36 pm

Jewells,

You are probably seeing and hearing specimens of the genus Tibicen, which are the large dog-day cicadas that appear each year during the warmest summer months. You might enjoy checking the Univ. of Michigan website (http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Michigan/Index.html) and scrolling down to the Tibicen section to see photos and listen to their songs to see which species you are encountering!

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 13, 2008 [AT] 3:21 pm

Hi,
I just wanted to report in here in Bay City, MI we are getting the green cicada’s emerging eveywhere as of august 13th 2008..We caught the beetle form and it’s tranforming into the beautiful green cicada at this moment ..You can hear them ..They were here last year too..I was wondering if this was a late batch coming out? We also took pictures too to share..
Best regards,
jewells

Comment by Jewells — August 13, 2008 [AT] 10:41 am

Hi Elias,

I haven’t noticed any differences, but I wasn’t aware that there would be any. The hatching took place from thicker living twigs, so they are inherently different from the smaller dried ones. I’ll keep this in mind and see if notice anything of interest.

I just checked Christine’s photos, but I can’t identify the species. Perhaps after the cicada darkens I will be able to do so if she posts more photos.

Yes, it would be fun to collect both of these genera. I’ve found Diceroprocta in S FL and W TX as well, but have collected Okanagana only once—I believe in SE WY (over 30 years ago!). I collected what I believe is Platypedia in NE CA; I’ll have to key it to be certain!

Do you simply snap your fingers, or is there a special way to do it, such as by a snap that isn’t very loud, more of a sliding sound than a crisp snap?

Best regards,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 13, 2008 [AT] 9:22 am

Hello again,
I originally posted from Collieville, TN that I had taken pictures of a cicada emerging, but after doing more reading on this website, I believe the correct term is molting. I’m not sure how to post my pictures on this website, but anyone interested can go to a google page I created to view them.

picasaweb.google.com/Christine1036/Cicada

—Chris

Comment by Christine — August 13, 2008 [AT] 6:53 am

Hello Bob,

I have to make the trip out west to see some Diceroprocta and Okanagana species.

One question, have you seen Magicicada oviposition scars before and after hatching? Supposedly there is a change once they hatch.

Take care,
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 13, 2008 [AT] 3:52 am

A few years ago I was in Las Vegas at this time of the year, and the species that was out was Diceroprocta apache. They vary somewhat in tint. I had the best luck near the Deseret Industries store (as I recall, on the south side of Flamingo some distance E of the UNLV campus), especially on mesquite and similar leguminous trees. I found the best way to capture them was to wait until it was almost dark, and then slowly approach with a hand, not snapping my hand until within a couple inches away—any sooner and they flew off and escaped. I captured a few, put them into a container with some mulberry twigs, and set them up in my lab in NC where they survived for several days.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 12, 2008 [AT] 9:42 am

On vacation to Las Vegas, I got out to the edge of town & was surprised to hear & spot cicadas in what basically amounted to the desert! Didn’t get a photo, and now I am kicking myself… But they definitely didn’t look like the midwestern types.

Comment by Randall — August 12, 2008 [AT] 6:24 am

Hello Bob,

Definitely interested in Christine’s nymph too. Hopefully she can upload pictures. Yesterday, amazingly, saw 5 — 6 nymphs eclosing even though it was in the low 70′s. A bit cool for here. There was no dusk chorus because of the rain and cool weather. Filmed the entire eclose process for a T. chlormera female.

Last Sunday I heard a male chlormera calling low. I snapped my fingers to simulate wing flick signaling and he repsonded back. Unlike Magicicada, male tibicens seem to perform wing flick signaling as well. I coaxed him to climb unto my net and undisturbed and lowered him down. I kept snapping my fingers and let him walk from the net to my hand. He called about 5-6 x, then flew. It was an extremely short flight, not the usual long courses, allowing recapture 2x and a repeat of the process. Highly recommned this if you have chloromera in your area. Not enough experience with other species to see if they respond the same way. I do remember as a kid that linnei do the same thing, and they like to walk alot as they call.

Hopefully I can find a nearby area for pruinosa and I will travel.

If tomorrow is nice, may hunt auletes again. I am motivated to capture this species.

Take care and hope you had a safe drive
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 12, 2008 [AT] 1:22 am

Elias,

The hatchings I saw and collected were in Lenoir, NC, not in PA. I only say a few twigs in PA in which oviposition took place (and I watched M. cassini ovipositing in a couple of these). I checked the twigs a little while ago and found no nymphs. However, I would think it would be about time for them to hatch in PA and NY.

I’ve never heard winnemanna/pruinosa in PA. However, I’ve spent relatively little time in the SE corner which would probably be the most likely area, and the limited time I’ve spent there mainly yielded chloromera, with linnei just across the river in NJ.

Yesterday I was driving back to NC from PA, and I heard both canicularis and lyricen at the I-70 E-bound rest area in Fulton County just S of Town Hill.

While travelling, I stopped at the I-81 S-bound rest area in Augusta Co., VA, NE of Staunton nr Mile 232 at 5 PM and checked most of the trees. Along with some empty shells, a live nymph was crawling up a green ash tree, so I took it with me. I checked it at 8:30 PM and a teneral male of T. chloromera had already emerged. (It has now darkened completely.)

By the way, I heard a “scissor-grinder” just a short distance off I-81 Exit 137 near Salem, VA last night.

It would be interesting to learn what species Chris found in Collierville, TN (just SE of Memphis)!

I’d love to learn how to simulate the wing flick signalling! I’ve wondered whether playing recordings of songs would attract females; have you tried this, too?

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 11, 2008 [AT] 6:13 pm

Bob,

Well, that means I have to mae a trip out to the emergence sites again. Really hope to see some white specks. DIx Hills is closest but there was not a huge amount of ovipositing there. Brookhaven was by far the largest so will have to check this out. If they are hatching in PA, then NY should be occurring too. Are you still seeing them?

Had some fun with chloromera coaxing them to call on my hand by utilizing simulated wing flick signaling with finger snaps. Also obtained 5 cicada specimens from a large cicada killer lek in a nearby park.

Have you heard any pruinosa out there in PA. Wondering what the farthest point east for pruinosa (or winnemanna) would be so I could hear the “scissor grinder”. Here we have chloromera, linnei and some lyricen. Further east is cannicularis. Also heard Tibicen auletes (finally) out in Wading River.

Great to hear from you and good luck.
Elias

Comment by Elias — August 11, 2008 [AT] 3:32 am

Elias,

I had seen all the adults in this patch of woods, so I checked the twigs. There were some dead hanging ones, but there were also some thicker ones with notches in them that were still alive. Several species of trees were involved, but most were red maple, probably because it is the most abundant at the edge of the woods and has low branches. I just simply looked around the notches until I noticed a couple white specks nearby, so I put a small plastic bag under them and disturbed them just a bit so they dropped into the bag. I did this late in the day, perhaps an hour before dusk because it was cooler, but maybe other times of the day would actually be better.

I also wanted to report that about a half hour ago (11:30 AM EDT) I was walking in a wooded area in Martha’s Park in Lanse, Clearfield Co., PA where it was sunny with relatively low humidity, and I heard a T. lyricen in addition to a handful of T. canicularis. It’s nice to know there is something here in addition to the latter species!

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 9, 2008 [AT] 9:04 am

Very nice. How and when did you locate first instar nymphs? If the weather cooperates, I will go out to eastern L.I. to Brookhaven and see if I can find any. Also the hunt for T. auletes is on. Hopefully they are emerging in greater numbers now that August is here.

Comment by Elias — August 8, 2008 [AT] 3:52 am

I tried to pose the adult next to a vial with the hatchling. The vast difference in size (and the limited ability of my “old-fashioned” digital camera!) made this tricky, but hopedly the nymph can be seen.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 7, 2008 [AT] 6:55 pm

Hello Joe

Can you send a picture of it into the cicadamania website for us to view. It would be interesting to identify the species.

Bob: that is an amazing lifespan. “Refrigerated stasis” is pretty cool. Hope you got the pictures of Magicicada adults and first instars in addition to Magicicada and Tibicen.

Comment by Elias — August 6, 2008 [AT] 4:39 pm

My last Magicicada septendecim male (which was my last living periodical cicada) died last night after over 11 weeks in captivity. I guess the only red eyes I’m going to see for the next 2 years and 9 months (until Brood XIX starts appearing in the Gulf states) will be on human faces!

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 6, 2008 [AT] 2:45 pm

Joe,

It might be a female. Female cicadas do not make a sound because they have no tymbals. If you look at the underside of the cicada, you can tell the difference—a male has what appear to be two slightly-overlapping “flaps” or tymbal covers while the female lacks these.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 4, 2008 [AT] 6:33 pm

To add to my recent post it also does not make ANY sound. It is still alive and for 2 days now I have been home and it has made no sound. Is that irregular?

Comment by Joe — August 4, 2008 [AT] 10:19 am

Hi, I have been fortunate enough to find myself a black, green, and white cicada. I have no idea what to do with it or who to tell…much less who to turn in to and I am wondering if you would know about that?

Comment by Joe — August 4, 2008 [AT] 10:08 am

Hi Elias,

I’m in central PA for the week. I’ve found some T. canicularis exuviae on conifers and have heard a few males, but otherwise nothing very exciting so far.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 4, 2008 [AT] 7:53 am

Hello Bob,

Best location on LI was Brookhaven along the William Floyd Parkway. The flagging is really intense too. Close runners up were East Setauket and Coram.
Will definitely look for stragggler next year. I have seen nymphs and the eclose process fro T. chloromera, linnei, canicularis, lyricen and M. septendecim. I am actively searching for auletes and hope to film it. Also want to have a collection of giant exuviae. The only one I found comes from Wading River Long Island last year. I heard auletes there this yeear so the hunt is on!!

Comment by Elias — August 1, 2008 [AT] 3:33 pm

Hi Elias,

I have collected T. davisi in the far eastern part of NC, but this area is quite different. I’ll just keep looking until I can find one!

Regarding auletes, I will keep my ears open! Last year I heard one (in eastern NC) in late afternoon, still a couple hours before dusk. They are uncommon right here although I’ve heard it at least once here.

I only have two large shells—an old one from eastern NC and another I found in Gainesville, FL. The only live nymph I’ve ver seen was a canicularis from central PA several decades ago!

I’m going to be in central PA all this coming week!

One question I have—were any good locations for Magicicada septendecula found this past spring (Brood XIV)? If so, it might be worth visiting next year to look for stragglers.

Cheers,

Bob

Comment by Bob Jacobson — August 1, 2008 [AT] 9:38 am

Hello Bob

Your suspended animation experiments are so cool. Wish I did the same as I would still have Magicicada now. Only got to experience septendecim this emergence. I think you are far too south for canicularis. Davisi reportedly has the same type of call, but a much shorter duration then canicularis. Sound of Insects has good sound files. I never heard davisi yet except here.

What is your experience with auletes down there. DO they call at other times except dusk. What is their activity during cloudy weather? Have you found a giant nymph yet. Here in NY, Wildwood State Park contains T. auletes and I am hunting them!

Take care
ELias

Comment by Elias — August 1, 2008 [AT] 4:24 am

This morning in Lenoir, NC I heard both T. chloromera and T. canicularis (or T. davisi?). This is the first time I’ve heard the latter this year. If I could find a specimen I could determine whether it is canicularis or davisi.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 31, 2008 [AT] 4:25 pm

Just an update: my last Magicicada cassini (a female) died last week, but I still have 3 live M. septendecim males. They have been kept almost 11 weeks so far.

“‘Pharaoh’-callers, eyes so red;
But for me you’d all be dead!”

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 30, 2008 [AT] 3:51 pm

Hello Bob,

Yes, pruinosa in the east is called winnemanna. I am confused if the species is called Tibicen pruinosa winnemanna or Tibicen winnemanna. The terminology for the annuals is very cumbersome and confusing!! I also believe there is another variant — latisfasciata. I think this is another pruinosa type. I am wondering if this exists in Western westchester county. I think Orange COunty NY had some Okanagana too. More driving for me!!

Comment by Elias — July 24, 2008 [AT] 8:16 pm

Elias, I was told by John Zyla last year that the “pruinosa-equivalent” in NC is properly named winnemanna. It has what sounds to me to be the same call as pruinosa I have heard in Nebraska and other areas.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 24, 2008 [AT] 2:57 pm

Annie, last year at Fort Mott State Park I heard chloromera and linnei, so you might have these in Mt. Olive, too.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 24, 2008 [AT] 2:54 pm

They didn’t WAKE me up this morning, but at 8:55 am I pity anyone trying to sleep in! These critters in Mt. Olive, NJ are really crankin’ it up! I remember my ex telling me (in 1980) that these NJ ones are SEVEN-year cicadas… it does fit the year??! (don’t know the species..)

Comment by Annie — July 19, 2008 [AT] 5:57 am

Here in NY hearing only T. chloromera and T. lyricen. T. linnei has not made its appearance yet and have to go further east for canicularis. Not as much fun as NC!

Comment by Elias — July 18, 2008 [AT] 10:15 pm

This past Friday night I arrived in Greensboro, NC about 7:30 PM to be treated to the “rasp…rasp..rasp” of T. robbinsoniana, the “chee-chee-chee” of T. chloromera, the “ZOO-eee, ZOO-eee, ZOO-eee” of T. winnemanna, the “zizz-zizz-zizz-zizz-zizz” of T. linnei, and the “durr-durr-durr” of T. auletes. What a nice greeting upon arrival!

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 13, 2008 [AT] 6:45 pm

Anyone reporting T. auletes yet??
Trying to find a sound file on T. winnemanna

Comment by Elias — July 12, 2008 [AT] 8:44 pm

Just when I got used to the silence after the departure of Brood XIV, over the past 2-3 days I’m beginning to hear the sounds of Tibicen in the trees here in eastern Cincinnati. Quite a busy summer for cicadas!

Comment by Tom L — July 12, 2008 [AT] 7:34 pm

Last Sunday (July 6) I heard T. winnemanna singing in Greensboro, NC. Today I heard T. chloromera in Lenoir, NC—the first Tibicen I’ve heard here this year.

Comment by Bob Jacobson — July 10, 2008 [AT] 4:00 pm

3 — 4 T. chloromera calling in Bayside Queens every morning. Have not heard T. linnei yet. They usually appear a little later.

Comment by Elias — July 10, 2008 [AT] 3:31 am

Tibicen lyricen heard calling in New Hyde Park,New York. Summer is here!!!

Comment by Elias — July 6, 2008 [AT] 7:52 pm

Hello all,
I heard my first Tibicen linnei & Tibicen chloromera today while working on landscaping in our front yard. I also found my first annual cicada nymph tonight (probably a chloromera). Looks like the annual cicada season is getting started here in Southwest Ohio.

Comment by Roy Troutman — July 6, 2008 [AT] 7:33 pm

Hi,
I live in Utah…I have never, ever seen a cicada in Utah before. I am from NC originally and i suspected when i heard it and saw it what it was. After we looked it up on this and other websites, we are sure that it is a cicada. I dont know what kind, but we have pictures and a captured one. It has black eyes though. Not like these on your site. I dont know too much about them, except no one in Utah knows what I’m talking about. Is this Weird?

Comment by Adrienne — June 26, 2008 [AT] 7:38 pm

Hello Maria,

The one your son found may be a straggler. This means that due to an internal clock error or the young cicada’s nutritional state, some may emerge a year later than the rest.
This phenomenon is well known. Some can emerge a year early, a year later, 4 years early or 4 years later. Hope that helps. I will be looking for signs of stragglers next year here in NY.

Comment by Elias — June 26, 2008 [AT] 4:25 am

Hi,
We got hit last year with the 17-yr. cicada in the Chicagoland area. We had thousands in our yard alone. Can someone tell me why my son found one two days ago? It is EXACTLY like the ones that invaded our yard last summer???

Comment by Maria — June 22, 2008 [AT] 8:13 pm

Just spent the weekend on Cape Cod, Mass. After pulling off the highway we opened the car windows and heard this loud sound, My first thought was the fan belt was squealing,so I pulled over and shut off the motor. It turned out to be the noise from the cicadas. When we got to the cottage the noise was even louder. They do get quiet at night and start up again at sunrise. There are literally millioms of holes in the ground and the trees are covered with there shells. They fly around but are no bother to people. The seagulls seem to eat them in flight. Word is they only last a couple of weeks.

Comment by chuck — June 22, 2008 [AT] 3:59 pm

I heard it before I saw it. I live in San Jose, California. I have never seen one before but my neighbor is from Arizona and she had seen them before. My sister moved to Maryland a few years ago for the ’emerging of the cicadas’.

Comment by Eileen — June 17, 2008 [AT] 10:36 am

Parts of Long Islands N/Shore are covered. These guys are friendlier than the green ones—very social—fly right over and land on you !!!

Comment by Heather — June 15, 2008 [AT] 4:40 am

Here in Central Texas we are finding the species “Superb Green Cicada Tibicen chloromera (Walker)” doing their usual Cicada rituals. They’ve got a nice green color and are such an interesting insect to check-out up close — though I’m the only one, between my kids, who will do so! 😉 Though how the Cicadas, around here, can stand the 100 degree temp’s around here is beyond me..

Comment by Heidi — June 15, 2008 [AT] 1:48 am

RB — sounds like a species of Okanagana. There are a few and they sort of looks similar, but fit your description.

Comment by Dan — June 14, 2008 [AT] 5:11 am

Can anyone tell us what sort of cicadas we have here in Northern Nevada — they are black with red legs and red stripes on the lower abdomen, but eyes are dark and not red like periodical cicadas we have seen in books? (Apart from the eye color, they look identical). They’re just coming out now en masse — pretty amazing. Never seen them before…Would love to know what they are…

Comment by RB — June 13, 2008 [AT] 11:15 am

I was at French Park in Cincinnati on Sunday June 8th and saw a whole bunch of red-eyed cicadas coming out of their husks nad flying around. Amazing!

Comment by Natalie Galluccio — June 9, 2008 [AT] 7:59 pm

There are lots of cicadas in Lexington, Kentucky. How long will they remain above ground and noisy? Days? Weeks?

Comment by Barbara Christensen — June 9, 2008 [AT] 3:11 pm

I live in southeastern Idaho and we have some property down in Rockland outside of American Falls. We were there this weekend and were surprised to find cicadas! I lived in Maryland during the 2004 17-year Magicicada emergence. These Idaho cicadas are much different with black eyes and are a bit smaller.

Comment by Beth Watson — June 8, 2008 [AT] 10:42 pm

I live in a rural area of Pa.and the sound of the cicadas is so loud. We can’t even enjoy sitting out on our porch swing.
There is trees covered in shells and cicadas. I can’t remember seeing or hearing them this much.
And I’ve lived here for 35 years.

Comment by Yvonne — June 8, 2008 [AT] 7:37 am

I failed to mention that we are just outside of Asheville, North Carolina. Does anyone know approximately when we can expect to see the cicadas exit ?

Comment by Jeff — June 5, 2008 [AT] 7:30 pm

My wife and I worked very hard planting a large and wonderful variety of trees on our two acre property over the last three years. We had moved here from Florida, and knew nothing about the 17 year hoard of cicadas. We feel sad and powerless watching the destruction being wrought to many of the beautiful trees. Unfortunately, the Japanese beetles will arrive soon with their leaf eating rampage. Combined with the extremely hot weather, the trees will be under terrible strain.

Comment by Jeff — June 5, 2008 [AT] 7:19 pm

Here in Harrodsburg Kentucky, they are thick…..for a Californian that just moved here last year….this is more than I can handle…..the incessant buzzzing sound is driving me crazy & there is no way to escape it. They are swarming around my house…not just on the trees. I own 10 acres with woods, which is probably why it’s so bad…..I have never seen anything so horrible yet fascinating in my life

Comment by Deborah A Klinkner — June 5, 2008 [AT] 1:34 pm

Hey i want to learn more about the Tibicen chloromera — swamp cicada can any help me find more info on them all i can find is pics! slowjamcdub [AT] yahoo.com

Comment by Chris — June 1, 2008 [AT] 6:38 am

I was wondering if anyone could tell me if the Cicadas have come out in the Louisville area yet?

Comment by Karla — May 27, 2008 [AT] 7:15 am

Brood 14 running strong right up against the Smokies. Numbers diminish signifacantly as you move away from the mountains

Comment by Dan — May 26, 2008 [AT] 3:25 pm

East Tennessee is in full swing for about 9 days now. Noise is less than previous brood 14.

Comment by Dan — May 26, 2008 [AT] 3:23 pm

Cicadas are showing up here in Indian Hill, Ohio. Found them on the apple tree and the maples out front. We haven’t seen enough to be a nuisance yet, but there were many 2 years ago, whatever brood that was (not a fan of the little critters, but the homeschooled kid loves them!)

Comment by Trenton — May 26, 2008 [AT] 2:50 pm

FAIRVIEW NC MANY MANY

Comment by DANE — May 20, 2008 [AT] 8:14 am

They’ve been out here in force for about two weeks. When I woke up the other morning, I thought a tornado alarm was sounding…the woods behind our house were so loud. At first they’re interesting, but when you sweep about a hundred a day from your back deck, they become pretty gross. If I understand correctly, they’ll be around till about July. Right?

Comment by Doug Mills — May 19, 2008 [AT] 11:38 am

Phoebe is back!

Comment by Dan — May 14, 2008 [AT] 10:17 am

I heard several more cicadas yesterday evening around 6:30 PM in Sacramento, CA. They were all on one city block. I guess our annual cicadas emerge at the same time as the 17-year ones in the eastern half of the country.

Comment by Phoebe — May 14, 2008 [AT] 5:00 am

I believe I heard our first Northern California annual cicada of the season on Sunday, May 11 in Sacramento. It sounded like one of our usual Okanagana types. I have only heard one so far, but I expect the rest to start emerging in the next 2 weeks.

Comment by Phoebe — May 13, 2008 [AT] 3:55 am

A note from a cicada fan in Sydney in response to the previous 3 Aussie cicada comments. The large “black guys” from New England may be ‘cherrynoses’ (Macrotristria angularis) as these don’t emerge every year, but they are slightly smaller than double drummers (which is our largest). I remember my childhood cicada hunts and they impressed me as “larger than life” at younger ages! I have also been collecting in the NEng region over the past 10 years and haven’t found anything larger. BUT cicadaphiles have recently found new (large) species of double drummers (Thopha saccata) and cherrynoses so in this vast land, we must always be open to new possibilities for species. We had massive emergences of double drummers in coastal NSW in Nov 2006/7. The Blue Mtns west of Sydney has around 15 endemic cicada species, most small to medium, with huge numbers of “Masked Devils” (green grocer variants) emerging in October 2007 from Woodford to Blackheath- fantastic numbers.
Jodi posted some great shots of Thopha colorata on cicadamania.
Season is pretty well finished in Sydney due to unseasonally heavy Feb rains- only the usual few lonely black prince males still trying to call up a female until around Easter.
Good luck in the USA with the periodicals from May 23.

Comment by david — March 13, 2008 [AT] 2:49 pm

Hello fellow cicada lovers. Just posting this to “get the word out there” to a receptive audience.

When I was a kid I caught cicadas every summer like any other kid. In Sydney, Australia, it was mostly greengrocers, the occassional yellow monday and black prince.

But when I went on holidays to the New England area of New South Wales, one year I found MEGA cicadas — these guys were at half the size again of those I caught back home.

I didn’t think much of it except “how awesome!” and “I wish the kids in the street back home could see me with these guys!” until I came across a magazine article which illustrated the largest of many of Australia’s insect specimens. It listed the double drummer and I thought — oh, that’s a mistake; they’ve obviously forgotten about the ones I found as a kid.

Later, I came across a similar poster, this time at the Australian Museum and I thought — hang on a minute — perhaps they don’t *know* about the big ones I caught as a kid.

So I asked, and they walked me into the exhibit, pointed at a cicada and said “there — that’s as big as they get”.

I said “No. The ones I caught were half that size again.”

They said if I ever found them again to bring one back.

So that’s where it’s at. I’ve looked once since (because I rarely visit the area anymore, let alone at the right time of year) and let a few locals know to post me some if they turn up again.

Now — to the cicada fanatics — what are the odds this is an annual? Does Australia have “cyclic” cicadas (ie, don’t emerge every year)? How long would an emergence likely be?

I think I know the answer to all three questions seeing as I’m talking about a species no-one else knows about.

Oh, and from memory, they were mostly black with a few green ones. This tidbit alone might suggest I recall it all incorrectly — unless you can tell me there *are* species which emerge in two or more colour forms. (Is the yellow monday the same as the greengrocer?)

Anyway, that’s that. The trees, road and paddocks are all still there, so here’s hoping.

Cheers,

Chris.

Comment by youcantryreachingme — January 2, 2008 [AT] 1:17 am

Categories
Annual Brood XIII Old Message Board

2007 Archive of Annual Cicada Sightings

Although this post compiles Annual cicada sightings from 2007, is some Magicicada Brood XIII talk in the July-May comments. Comments are in reverse order.

I also live in an area of Australia where cicadas are hatching in droves. We’ve pulled dozens of casings off of the house alone, and today — so far- nearly a dozen have hatched. I’m rescuing lots off of my truck tyres. We have a rare type here, called the Orange Drummer. I’ve posted some pics on Flickr:

1_hatching_sm1

Comment by Jodi C. — November 26, 2007 [AT] 9:09 pm

Hi, I live in cicada heaven, which is in the Blue Mountains,west of Sydent in NSW Australia. Cicadas are found of all types and species. Any day in summer you can hear a chorus of cicadas which have been measured at over 150 decibels. You can literally walk up to any tree and pick them up off the trunk! Birds just fly up and eat them in front of you, but there are still cicada nymphs emerging in bright daylight (normally this only happens at night!) I think it has something to do with the unseasonally wet and cold weather we have been experiencing this summer. But anyway, I have loads of pics if you want to contact me: kevin [AT] padrepio.org.au
Blessings!

Comment by Fr Kevin Lee — November 15, 2007 [AT] 11:10 pm

It’s October. It has reached 92 degrees today (Aurora, Illinois) and I heard many, many cicadas.

A few days ago I also heard one in Naperville, Illinois.

I was actually surprised. But, I would understand since it is awfully warm out.

Comment by Daniela Barrios — October 7, 2007 [AT] 4:52 pm

A photo of a Masked Devil cicada that flew into my living room last night (in the Blue Mountains, New South Wales):
http://www.facebook.com/ph​oto.php?pid=341705&l=b46a1​&id=715264364

A shell I found a week ago:
http://www.facebook.com/ph​oto.php?pid=326996&l=2efbd​&id=715264364

Cheers!

Comment by Andrew Sweeney — October 3, 2007 [AT] 10:25 pm

Dan posted some of my videos of a singing cicada in Sacramento, CA recently. I also took still pictures of the cicada while shooting the video. Here are the links to the still shots:
http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view&current=cicada6originalsizepic.jpg

http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view&current=cicada2rightside.jpg

http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view&current=cicada5originalsizepic.jpg

http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view&current=cicada1originalsizepic.jpg

All I know is that it is some species of Okanagana.

Comment by Phoebe — September 14, 2007 [AT] 2:31 pm

I am not in anyway an expert ha ha , when it comes to cicatas , but from the pictures I have looked up I beleave I have found a common every year cicata its still emerging frome his exoskeliton ,I found him lieing on the ground on a sidewalk I knew he had fallin off of his resting spot and I knew if i left him their hed get step on or torchered by a human or something els so I plased him om my balcony and im worried he isnt emerging like normal , he is half way out and just stoped , I guess what Im trying to find out is how long would it normaly take the tibian cicada to leave the exoskelito ? hours , days ? or is it suposed to take a wile ,,, he obviously isnt in mutch ah hurry to go …. some one please help me understand this prosses better id be most gratfull to learn

Comment by edith — August 31, 2007 [AT] 12:05 am

I live just outside Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and recently found a beetle that I’ve never seen in this area — someone suggested it might be a cicada. Unfortunately I wasn’t able to snap a picture, but haven’t seen any on your site that look like this. Do cicadas live in this area, and if so, would they feed from a Mountain Ash tree? My mountain ash trees seem to have some disease or pest they’ve never had before, and these bugs are also new.

Comment by Michelle — August 28, 2007 [AT] 1:46 pm

I live in Sacramento, CA. I have seen cicadas in trees several times in the past week, and I hear them all over the place. I took a few videos of them. You can see the best one here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ey5nMtPBjNs

I have several other videos, but YouTube’s search function hasn’t been working properly since July 25. When you search by “Date Added”, hardly any newer videos show up, including all my latest cicada sightings.

I also took a still picture of the cicada featured in my video link: http://s149.photobucket.com/albums/s66/hardmf1/misc/?action=view&current=cicadainSacramentoCA7-25-07.jpg

Comment by Phoebe — July 30, 2007 [AT] 3:21 pm

Heard a strange noise. looked on the front screen. Found an incredibly strange insect I had never seen before. Finally figured out it was a cicada. We are in Northeast PA, and I think these are the 17-year deals. Crazy.

Comment by Eric — July 25, 2007 [AT] 7:14 pm

Hi guys,
I’m in Albuquerque for a conference, and last night around 8:30 heard what sounded like cicadas in a tree…where I grew up (Delaware) cicadas only call on hot afternoons. Was I really hearing cicadas? Or some other critter?
Thanks…

Comment by Melissa — July 20, 2007 [AT] 5:51 am

Hi Lindsey,
Those sound rather neat. If you can get a picture, post on this website and that could help identification

Comment by david — July 14, 2007 [AT] 4:09 pm

We live in Krum, Texas (near the Dallas/Fort Worth area) and for the past two years I have noticed some very tiny cicadas which come up from under our shrubs to sit on the porch screens. They are a mottled grey camouflage color, and measure only about 3/4 inch! They can almost be mistaken for horseflies. They do “buzz” like other cicadas if startled off the porch screen, but I don’t know what their particular song is like. I would like to know what they are, if anyone can tell me.

Comment by Lindsey Williams — July 14, 2007 [AT] 9:40 am

Hello all,

It has become very warm here in New York. For some reason the Tibicens are taking a while to come up. Possibly the unusually cool days may have delayed the emergence. I heard a Tibicen chloromera finally sing this AM. Caught an emerging nymph the night before, but none last night. The teneral adult is living amongst oak branches I have provided it and I am waiting for it to mature. Interested in seeing how long one could be kept in captivity (my record was 12 days for a periodical species) and if they would sing as well. (Had a septendecim that sang, the cassini did not). No T.lyricen heard as of yet. If anyone knows of any other species that inhabit the NY area let me know (Queens County and Long Island)

Comment by Elias — July 10, 2007 [AT] 7:49 am

Hello Dan,

Just recently purchased 25 cicadas rom Illinois. Unfortunatley due to the intervening Holiday (7/4), all dies except one. She is a septendecim female and still lives to today! I never knew periodicals could be found in July!! Here in Nassau county yesterday I heard a Tibicen Canicularis dsing at dusk and this morning in QUeens a Tibicen chlomera sang as well. Found an emerging nymph yesterday and placed him with the Magicada. Never thought I would see these two species side by side!!! Its been a great year for cicadas. Now its time for the Tibicens to take over.

Comment by Elias — July 9, 2007 [AT] 8:38 am

Amanda: if it’s a Tibicen cicada, then it’s perfectly normal. Tibicens emerge every year.

Comment by Dan Mozgai — July 3, 2007 [AT] 7:00 am

Apparantly one cicada is confused. We aren’t supposed to have a brood here within a couple of states this year, yet we found one hanging out with the June Bugs tonight. We are just outside Memphis, TN in North Mississippi. Not sure what’s up with that? TN is supposed to have a brood next year, maybe he came up a little early?

Comment by Amanda — July 2, 2007 [AT] 8:47 pm

Here in south Oak Park, Illinois, we just heard our first Annual Cicada, a Tibicen pruinosa singing about 45 minutes before sunset. Last year we heard our first T. pruinosa on June 27, although for several years before that we did not heard them until early July. We have been feeling seriously deprived of Periodical Cicadas in our neighborhood. We have to drive a few miles west, to the Des Plaines River floodplain, to see them in large numbers. At least we seem to be a bit ahead of the game with the Annual Cicadas!
Eric, Ethan, and Aaron Gyllenhaal
Kid’s Cicada Hunt

Comment by Eric Gyllenhaal — June 26, 2007 [AT] 6:12 pm

have there been cicada sightings in elkhorn Wisconsin? i’ll be there for a week and want to know how to prepare.

Comment by Peri — June 16, 2007 [AT] 7:37 pm

Interesting, I haven’t seen or heard(thank God) the little critters, but my man was driving to Tinley Park and while in traffic had the radio up quite a bit. He heards this high pitched sound, turned the radio off rolled the woindow down and he said it was like an invasion of millions of crickets. I laughed because 2 weeks before that I told him :The Cicadas are coming…” lol

Comment by Laurie and Mike — June 15, 2007 [AT] 10:44 pm

There’s plenty of cicadas in California, but they’re annual cicadas — they type that emerge every year in small numbers.

Comment by Dan — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:46 pm

I don’t know what to make of it… this week, here in Santa Barbara, CA, I’ve heard that lovely, shrill singing of the cicadas. Not many of them & haven’t seen any, but I can hear them up in some trees. I travelled extensively through the South and lower Great Lakes in the summer of 2004, so I’m more than familiar with that distinctive sound. I wasn’t aware they lived in southern California, especially right on the coast like this… never have heard them before. Fluke of global warming or something? 🙂

Comment by C. Campbell — June 13, 2007 [AT] 4:42 pm

Over Memorial Day weekend we were at Railroad Park Campground, near Castle Crags, just south of Dunsmuir, California. We saw dozens of cicadas molting out of their nymph stage. They were mostly on the site marker posts for the campsites, but were also found on camp chairs, picnic tables and bicycle tires! I got a ton of photos of the emergence of the adults and the expansion and drying of the wings. I would gladly forward photos to someone who could identify the variety.

Comment by Rusty McMillan — June 11, 2007 [AT] 5:35 pm

P.S. SORRY, I LIVE IN CRYSTAL LAKE ILLINOIS.
LAURIE STEWART AGAIN!

Comment by LAURIE L. STEWART — June 11, 2007 [AT] 12:52 pm

HELP!!! I’M JUST TRYING TO FIND A MAP SHOWING WHERE THE CICADAS ARE. I WANT SO TO SEE THE MIRACLE OF THEM IN PROGRESS. I MAY NOT BE HERE IN 17 MORE YEARS. I FIND IT QUITE A SPIRITUAL EVENT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH,

LAURIE STEWART

Comment by LAURIE L. STEWART — June 11, 2007 [AT] 12:51 pm

Timberon, NM — After a brief email conversation with someone from this site, and sending him a photo of one of our local cicadas, it has been determined that the cicadas in the mountains of South Centeral New Mexico are Platapedia. Perhaps the ones in Santa Fe are of the same Genus.

Comment by Scott M. — June 10, 2007 [AT] 5:26 pm

I live in the suburbs around chicago and there were so many cicadas on one of my plants that it became smothered… I CAN’T WAIT FOR THESE GROSS BUGS TO GO BYE-BYE!!!!

Comment by Plant Luver — June 3, 2007 [AT] 11:44 am

I live just outside of Santa Fe, New Mexico and about a week and a half ago i was taking a walk in the woods and i noticed holes about an inch in diameter all over the place. I then noticed that they were housing some sort of beetle, but i didn’t know what kind. Well about three days ago i went outside and heard the forest alive with that unmistakable cicada song. The trees were crawling with them. I’ve never seen them this far west before and am wondering what kind they are?

Comment by Antonio mora — June 3, 2007 [AT] 11:16 am

I found thousands of cicadas up and down Chickaloon Drive in McHenry, Illinois. Some are up in the trees, under the trees leaves, and more are hatching as I write!! IT was fantastic and the niose was deafening!

Comment by Kathryn — May 30, 2007 [AT] 5:46 pm

I was camping in the Catskill Mountains of NY State (specifcally at Mongaup Pond in Livingston Manor)this Memorial Day weekend and cicada exoskeletons were all around. I heard they were Chicago area and was surprised to find them. We also had balck flies!!

Comment by Sonya — May 29, 2007 [AT] 8:24 am

My name is Kailey. I am 10 years old and live in Indiana. I just went outside in my backyard and counted 244 cicada moltings. And some live ones too.

Comment by Kailey — May 24, 2007 [AT] 8:49 am

Lake Forest, IL….First Cicada sighting Brood XIII at garden-goddess.blogspot.com

Comment by Carole Brewer — May 14, 2007 [AT] 7:18 am

We have an outdoor wedding planned in Lemont on June 16th. If the cicada’s emerge on May 22nd, what are we in for as far as “uninvited guests” to our wedding.

Comment by tryingtokeepasenseof humor — May 6, 2007 [AT] 10:53 am

Hello everyone. Long time, no see… Just wanted to share sometime indirectly cicada related that you may find of interest. I’m sure if anyone is a gamer, then you’re familiar with one of the most popular games currently on sale. Check out the “GEARS OF WAR” for the Xbox 360. You’ll learn of the big “Emergence Day” event within the game’s storyline. The enemy you’ll be fighting are called “Locusts” that actually come from the bowels of the earth! However, you’ll soon discover that these “Locusts” are not the little critters we know and love. Check it out. You may find if amusing like I did. Plus it is also a really fun game!!!
Check out http://www.gearsofwar.com

Comment by Les Daniels — January 5, 2007 [AT] 3:00 pm

Categories
Annual Old Message Board

2006 Annual Cicada Sightings

I am in Prince Edward Island, Canada, on the 13th of OCTOBER, a 2" long plus insect that I think must be a Cicada of some kind, dark brown, reasonably active still this am, was on the door, (attracted by the light that I have beside the door), the weather this fall has been unreasonably ( 🙂 ) warm with ~70 degree weather two or three days this week, normally I have Cicadas on the trees and of house only in August, has anyone else seen this or is it a fluke ? I have searched the outside of the house but only the one lonesome charlie.

Comment by Tom Purdy — October 14, 2006 [AT] 5:17 am

I live in Raleigh, NC area, and just spotted my first cicada the night before last which was August 20, 2006. I freaked out when I saw this huge bug on my front porch screen, but after a few seconds realized that it must be a locust or cicada. The markings/colorings on these insects are incredible. I decided to do a little research to be sure and found this website. So, there you are!

Comment by P. Sapp — August 22, 2006 [AT] 4:36 am

my son and i live in crittenden ky. 30 mi. south of cincinnati oh.and have sighted many green and black cicadas.the noise from these are loud and the noise has been around for about 2 to 3 weeks.can anyone tell us exactly what species they are, how often these come out and when they will disappear? we are very interested. sincerely,s. goldsworth

Comment by s.goldsworth — August 21, 2006 [AT] 1:50 pm

Arghhhh! That noise! Here I take a week off from work in the middle of August to spend with my children, and every evening, I hear the deafening sound of the cicada! I thought we weren’t due for another emergency for another ten years or so. I live in Athens, Ohio, where the brood hatched in 1999 during my daughter’s outdoor birthday party (what a memory for her… kids screeming as the fly overhead , getting caught in their hair! What fun!) so we were not expecting the hissing of summer lawns for another decade. What gives?

Comment by Kirk G — August 18, 2006 [AT] 7:44 am

I am having trouble identifying this cicada I caught. I was hoping someone could identify it for me? Here are the pictures.
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/NobdyYouKnoNEway/Bugs/P1010028-1.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/NobdyYouKnoNEway/Bugs/P1010030.jpg
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a380/NobdyYouKnoNEway/Bugs/P1010025.jpg

If you can, email or IM what you think it is to me.
Email: leogeckogirl [AT] gmail.com
AIM: Reha Chan

Comment by Reha — August 17, 2006 [AT] 2:33 am

I live in Connecticut and came across a dead cicada last week. Not knowing what it was I took some pictures and posted them in my blog. Falanya from Anchorage clued me in as to what it was. Now I just don’t know what type of cicada it is — just curious.

Check out the photots at http://theczarspage.blogspot.com/

BTW, Very nice web site!

Gerry

Comment by Gerry michaud — August 14, 2006 [AT] 4:21 pm

2 cicadas spotted in Columbus, GA. First one spotted on August 1st, the second sighting was August 14 this morning.

Comment by johnny lumpkin — August 14, 2006 [AT] 1:17 pm

I have spotted a Cicada twice in the last week at my front door. It’s apparently attracted to the yellow bug light I purchased to deter all insects. When I first saw it I was shocked at how big they are! I didn’t know what it was at first until I started researching them this morning. I saw it for the first time last week, but saw it again this morning as I was leaving for work. It was right on my wall under my porch light. It makes such a loud sound! it looks just like the apache cicada that you have pictured on the home page. I thought that their were no species due to surface in 2006?

Comment by johnny lumpkin — August 14, 2006 [AT] 1:13 pm

Cicadas starting emerging around my yard about June 20th this year. I have seen more than a dozen nymph exoskeletons all over the yard: on the foundation of my house, on the fence, under daylily, squash and bergamot leaves, and even two on the tire of my car. I got photos of two adults and I think they are genus Tibicen. Now yesterday and today, the noise has been intense up in the trees!

Comment by Jenn — July 29, 2006 [AT] 7:27 pm

Two cicadas sighted in Toronto.

Comment by SSK — July 27, 2006 [AT] 3:12 pm

Greetings,

After an absence of over 50 years, the Giant Cicada (Quesada gigas) is back (with a vengeance) across Central Texas from San Antonio to Austin…

_______________________________
Giant Cicada / Chicharra Grande
http://texasento.net/Cicada.htm

Comment by Mike Quinn — July 21, 2006 [AT] 1:23 pm

I just wanted to report that I finally heard my first Tibicen of
the season late this afternoon.
It was a T.chloromera. I have yet to
find any live nymphs or exuviae though. I will update once I find any.

Roy

Comment by Roy Troutman — July 1, 2006 [AT] 9:13 pm

Speaking of Disney, I work at Disneyland, and our cicadas have just made a very loud apperance. Does anyone know what type they are? The last few days have been the warmest in quite a while…around 80. Thank you!

Comment by Elizabeth Madsen — April 20, 2006 [AT] 1:43 am

Categories
Annual Old Message Board

2005 Archive of Annual Cicada Signtings

Cicadas are emerging “down under” in Australia. Small species have been appearing for around a month, but the first emergence of the large “Green grocers” (Cyclochila australasiae) occurred around Sydney on October 14.

Comment by David Emery — October 23, 2005 [AT] 5:02 am

To Wes Phillips (Aug 21). Have been trying to contact you from Australia on your old email address(2003) about cicadas, but messages bounce back. Have you changed it, please?

Comment by david — August 30, 2005 [AT] 3:25 pm

Well make that two Tibicens now in Franconia, Virginia. Found one in my cellar well. Can’t wait until the next “17 year” cicada brood appears in our area.

Comment by Scott Dwinelle — August 29, 2005 [AT] 6:27 pm

I live in Los Angeles California. I am not sure what I saw but it looked like the cicada insect. I saw two yesterday. They caught my eye because I have never seen any insect like this in LA. It looked very similar to the cicada pictures posted in this web site; the differences are these were forest green and the body was slightly thinner. Has anyone reported seeing any in California? Next one I see I will take a picture. I do know we have had record rain fall for this year and there are a lot more spiders because of it.

Comment by Rick Rivera — August 27, 2005 [AT] 9:27 am

Saw my first Tibicen of the season the other day here in Franconia, Virginia. We really don’t see these to often. Usually one or two a year. Now Magicicada we get by the thousands!

Comment by Scott Dwinelle — August 23, 2005 [AT] 2:20 pm

i’ve a photo of a huge cicada…..cant’ find any other to compair to….ugh………can u help?

Comment by Carla — August 23, 2005 [AT] 8:32 am

I have never seen as many Cicada’s as we have had this year. Last year the buzz (pardon the pun!) was all about the Brood X, This year by far has been ALOT Worse. I am finding 10-20 shells of the molted Cicada’s every couple weeks. I have had at least 3 “Waves” of Molted and now singing Cicada’s. The Holes are starting to become Very apparent of yet another hatching and evolving. A couple weeks ago the noise was almost maddening. Just unbelieveable.

Comment by Pati — August 23, 2005 [AT] 7:42 am

This has been a great summer for cicadas in the Texas Panhandle area. My granddaughter Ashley and I made a trip down near Lubbock and found some of the smallest cicadas in this country. We found not only Pacarina puella, but also Beameria venosa. Beameria venosa is the smaller of these and to my surprise was a two-tone green color. We also collected numerous Cicadetta kansa near Fritch. Tibicen superba appears to still be the most common large cicada and we caught several of them this summer as well. Interestingly enough, I also caught some Microstylum morosum — the Giant Robber Fly which is a predator on cicadas. This is the largest fly in the united states, and some of the specimens we caught were an inch and a half long.

Wes Phillips

Comment by Wes Phillips — August 21, 2005 [AT] 4:31 pm

I thought is was some nuclear being. We don’t have insects that big in Eugene, OR. Let alone plated ones with huge tubular needles coming from their mouth. I could hear it from the back of our property. I placed it in a jar until someone suggested it may be a cicada. My children set it on the patio table and watched it for over an hour. We were able to see it “sing” but you couldn’t really tell the abdomen was even moving. What a pleasure

Comment by Kristin — August 17, 2005 [AT] 4:39 pm

I hear them continuously throughout the daylight hours here in the far northwest of Illinois. I’m about 45 minutes from the Wisconsin border. I was just wondering if anyone knew when they will quiet down and their “song” will end. It has driven me almost to the point of insanity!

Comment by Sara — August 17, 2005 [AT] 10:48 am

Hi, I just saw this website, because I was trying to do some research on Cicada holes. We recently moved to Shamong, NJ (dec of 2004), and
about a month ago, I noticed HUNDREDS of little holes in our yard. I mean literally TONS of them. I didn’t know what they were. We live in the Pine Barrens of New Jersey, and I had seen lots of shells of cicadas this Spring, 2005. Then about 3 weeks ago, we saw a cicada crawling across our sidewalk to the driveway. We live in DENSE FOREST area. My front yard is a forest, and so is my backyard. I had listened to some Cicada sounds, on the internet, and then realized “THIS IS THE SOUND that I have been hearing for the past few weeks.
All I can tell you is that we have HUNDREDS of HOLES — fresh holes, that I didn’t see earlier in early Spring. I am now seeing brittle Cicada shells all over the place and especially in our front yard.

So, I assume that they have made MY HOME, their home — which is cool. My hubby took pics of the one that was crawling across the sidewalk. It was late at night, however. Is that when they come out???

Email me, if you wish, and I will send you pics of the holes, and of the Cicada we saw, AND some other pics of the shells that are all over the place.

Jolly Alaniz

Comment by Joleen Alaniz — August 16, 2005 [AT] 6:06 am

Caught a live Tibician in southeast Indiana (Aurora) this morning on our front porch

Comment by Eric — August 14, 2005 [AT] 7:45 am

August 13,2004
Southeastern Mass I found a Tibicen variety of Cicada. It was located on the side of my garage near large catalpa tree The first time I have seen a live cicada and I have lived in area for my entire life. Found while looking for food for pet Praying Mantis. I do believe she will like this special treat.

Comment by Chris — August 13, 2005 [AT] 8:33 pm

my 12 yr. old daughter found a cicada outside in our front yard at 10:oo tonight the 13th of aug., 2005 in grandbay, alabama. we looked at it for a while trying to figure out what it was, and i remembered my dad telling me it was a cicada when i was about 12 yrs. old myself. we released it.

Comment by joey heflin — August 13, 2005 [AT] 8:03 pm

Here in Detroit, we hear them every summer. It’s just not summer without them. I’ve found several moltings on the trees near my home, the garage, and even on the side of my home. My daughter actually scared the crap (to put it polite) out of me when she brought a empty shell in the house. The sparrows & wrens in the area, must love them. I’ve seen some amazing chases this year. A few chases were near fatal for the birds. Since the birds where concentating on the cicadas and not watching traffic they were flying into. Watching a bird chase a cicada is AMAZING.

I have to admit these are some ugly bugs, but I love their music.

Comment by kelly — August 7, 2005 [AT] 7:01 pm

When we were younger, about 10 or so, my brother and would get up early in the morning, ride our bikes around the Neighborhood looking for cicadas. That seems to be the best time to catch them drying their wings on the trees. We had many pets that summer!

Comment by amanda — August 5, 2005 [AT] 11:05 am

I hear them every summer in the trees here in southern wisconsin!

Comment by amanda — August 5, 2005 [AT] 11:01 am

The mystery in San Antonio has been solved. Edward G. Riley, Associate Curator in the Department of Entomology at Texas A&M, identified the species we collected as Quesada giga. He believes this species to be the largest cicada in North America and it ranges from south Texas to South America. Their call is described as “metallic”. I can say first hand that that description is accurate, and they are certainly the largest cicada I’ve ever seen. Very interesting indeed.

Comment by Greg — August 2, 2005 [AT] 11:49 am

I caught my first cicada pet ever this summer of 2005. I found him in our pool and he was still alive. I put him in a container for 2 days and I named him Bob. About 1 week later I caught a girl cicada being attacked by a pray mantis. I nammed her betty.

Comment by Katy Czarnecki — August 2, 2005 [AT] 7:59 am

I caught a tibican in Aberdeen MD. I found a dead one infront of my apartment the other day. we have a ton of the model T cicadas in my edgewood MD apartment complex. last year there were none but the magicicadas were close by it sounded like an alien spaceship. though I ve never heard an alien spacecraft before LOL

Comment by Vince Matson — August 1, 2005 [AT] 6:25 pm

I’m 45-years-old and although long aware of cicadas I’ve never experienced them first-hand. Today, July 31, 2005 that all changed. Here now the details: At approximately 10:45 AM EDT in Woodcliff Lake, NJ my wife and I were parked in the Mack-Cali building parking lot. The sunroof to my car was open and I heard a very unusual and loud sound that appeared to be coming from a tree that we were parked under. Getting out of the car to further investigate I was first struck by how loud the sound was. At first I imagined it was some strange avian call and as I tried to spot this creature hidden in the dense foliage the sound would cycle in and out. Loud, then very loud, almost frantic, then moderating. This area of the parking lot was populated by a species of tree I’m not familiar with, but it had fruit very much like large green cherries. Further exploring the trees I finally spotted a cicada that I managed to close within about 3′ of before it found me too close for comfort and flew away. Candidly, these are not attractive insects *cough*, but the decibel level a solitary insect is able to reach is truly astounding. The buzz of this entire brood of insects was like nothing I’ve ever heard before although if you’ve ever attended an F1 automobile race, the sensation is not terribly dissimilar. Wow! Thanks for this site and for wading through this report.

Comment by John Smyth — July 31, 2005 [AT] 6:46 pm

For the first time in my life I was able to watch and photograph numerous cicada nmphs coming out of their exoskeletons and gradually gaining four, straight, green wings. They were on tree trunks and the long thorns of honey locust trees in my front yard in rural northwest Oklahoma. Dan from Cicadamania identified their species as “Tibicin” annual cicadas.

Comment by Mary — July 28, 2005 [AT] 10:02 am

My 8 year old son found a cicada this afternoon! After visiting your site and listening to a few of the songs, we think it is a Tibicen

Comment by Sarah — July 27, 2005 [AT] 6:12 pm

There’s been an emergence of an interesting species here in San Antonio, TX. It appears to be a Tibicen species of which several are common to this area. What sets this one apart is its shrill call. It’s a high pitched buzz or whine unlike the Tibicen chatter we’re used to in this area. I collected a few specimens with an entomologist this morning to determine the species and will follow up with a post when we key it out. If anyone else may be able to shed some light on this particularly shrill calling cicada please post up or contact me at ghammer [AT] tamu.edu.

Comment by Greg — July 26, 2005 [AT] 12:09 pm

I keep hearing Cicada’s in my area, not sure what kind it is, although I do know it’s of a tibicen type (yeah I’m not all that scientific) They are the most interesting insects I have come across…trying to learn more and I am ALWAYS looking to see them yet I can’t. We have many oaks and maple tree’s in our area and the buzzing sounds like there’s millions of them, yet I know that’s not the case. I love these bugs 🙂

Comment by Donna G — July 20, 2005 [AT] 2:13 pm

Concord,North Carolina — this morning found a dogday cicada. it was scary and amazing at the same time because i have never saw anything like this in my life before.
it died as it was coming out of its skeleton. it was the weirdest thing i ever saw.

Comment by lana B — July 12, 2005 [AT] 11:42 am

Central Illinois — not sure what species, didn’t even know what it was…after reviewing the web site, and waking my neighbor to see it, confirmed cicada wandering on the curb.

Comment by momma w — July 11, 2005 [AT] 6:37 am

Found 7 molting T. lyricen specimens in one of my favorite cicada walking spots on July 7th. As of today July 10th still not a peep out of them. I’m in Massachusetts.

Comment by Gerry — July 10, 2005 [AT] 4:16 pm

I heard about 1 or 2 Tibicen chloromera singing this morning around my house.

Comment by Matt — July 8, 2005 [AT] 6:51 am

Found my first live specimens of Tibicen lyricen here in Massachusetts on the 4th of July. They are not calling in the trees yet as of today (July 6th) but I did hear the call of a Tibicen canicularis in my yard on the 5th but I haven’t found any live specimens.

Gerry

Comment by Gerry — July 6, 2005 [AT] 9:37 pm

Found 3 shells and heard over 10 cicadas singing yesterday. I also saw one fly past us.

Comment by Matt — July 5, 2005 [AT] 2:50 pm

heard another!

Comment by Matt — July 2, 2005 [AT] 5:22 pm

I heard a tibicen linnei in Cincinnati this evening.

Comment by Matt — July 1, 2005 [AT] 8:49 pm

I finally heard my first tibicen last friday evening(June 26th) in southwest ohio. It was a T. linnei. I haven’t found any live nymphs or skins yet but am still looking. More updates to come.

Comment by Roy Troutman — June 26, 2005 [AT] 3:04 pm

Platypedia putmani, one of the western clicking cicada has emerged in good numbers in the foothills immediately west of Fort Collins, Colorado. More than usual are being heard on the west side of town. There is some debate, whether they are reproducing in town or migrating from pine and brushlands west of town. I’m begining to believe they have started reproducing within town.

Comment by Tim McNary — June 24, 2005 [AT] 7:57 am

Subject: 2005 cicada

While vacationing at disney guess what I heard. My first cicada of 2005.
(Hiero)
I heard them on 5/7/05 11:00 am. at Magic Kingdom also on 5/8 at Animal Kingdom, and 5/9 at Epcot. I did not hear any at MGM on 5/9. All days were mostly sunny with temps in the upper 80′s.

I am going to a meeting at Baltimore on may 18th. After the meeting im going to the same place I went last year in Annapolis were there was at least a couple 1000 Periodical Cicadas their in hopes of seeing and takeing home some stragglers. Bill

Comment by Bill Mister — June 2, 2005 [AT] 9:24 am

Categories
Annual Old Message Board

2005 Archive of General Cicada Questions

These questions come from the old General Cicada Questions message board. The questions and answers are in reverse order. URLs found in comments are old and likely do not work.

You can tell by looking at their abdomens. The females abdomen ends with a sharp point, like a sharpened pencil. The male is more stubby, like the top of a house.

Comment by Dan Mozgai — November 14, 2005 [AT] 6:08 am

How do you tell if cicada’s are male or female?

Comment by annika — November 13, 2005 [AT] 10:22 pm

To Julianna,
Messages 48-50. Cicadas suck sap from trees and grasses during development underground and after emergence. They, in turn are “eaten” by higher predators , especially spiders, tree crickets and birds, as well as preyed upon by wasps (“cicada-killer” wasp)and cicada collecting humans, dogs and cats. The shell “exuviae” simply degenerates and gets recycled after emergence, becomes a spider’s temporary home, or gets collected and ground up for some traditional (especially Chinese) medicines.
Underground, cicada nymphs can be attacked by “entomophagic” (insect eating) fungus that kills the cicadas at some stage, but life above ground is pretty short and infection-free. Prolonged rain may promote bacterial disease.

Comment by david — October 9, 2005 [AT] 5:28 pm

Is it true that cicadas have a deathly disease?

Comment by Julianna Wojtowicz — October 7, 2005 [AT] 7:09 pm

What happens to a cicada shell when it’s left there?

Comment by Julianna Wojtowicz — October 7, 2005 [AT] 7:08 pm

what do cicadas eat and what eats them?

Comment by Julianna Wojtowicz — October 7, 2005 [AT] 7:04 pm

What do they eat and what eats them?

Comment by Julianna Wojtowicz — October 7, 2005 [AT] 7:02 pm

Hello I found a Cicada in a spider web (No spider in web) and rescued it.But it can’t fly it’s wings are messed up what do I do?

[Moderator: try to pick the web off its wing and then leave it in a bush. Maybe it will recover.]

Comment by Jennifer — September 17, 2005 [AT] 3:39 pm

do they have to sleep ? can they hurt u

[moderator: Sort of and no.]

Comment by caitlin — September 6, 2005 [AT] 4:57 pm

I live in Northern Virginia, and I’ve seen a few dead cicadas on the ground these past few weeks. They are black like the 17-year cicadas that we had last year, but they have white/greenish eyes. I’ve been hearing them singing in the trees all summer, but I thought they were the regular cicadas that we have every summer. Those are green though, aren’t they? These ones are black, and they look almost the same as the ones we had last year, only they don’t have red eyes. Are they regular annual cicadas or some special brood? Could they be Brood X and have emerged this year instead of last year? But why don’t they have red eyes, then?

Comment by Ashley — September 2, 2005 [AT] 5:20 pm

Hello,I am collecting cicada bodies and would gladly pay for shipping them if you have any. The area I am living in (Haverford, PA) does not have many this year. Please write and let me know. Thank you.

Anne

[Moderator: those are Tibicen, which are an annual species of cicada. Thanks too the massive emergence of Magicicadas, people have become “cicada aware”, and a now, finally noticing the annual species.]

Comment by Anne M — September 1, 2005 [AT] 12:52 pm

Fred,
For a great photo of Tibicen dorsata (Grand western cicada) and some locations, get Boris Kondratieff’s book “Cicadas of Colorado” CSU Press- it’s great.

Comment by david — August 29, 2005 [AT] 10:24 pm

OK, cicada professionals:

What is the ‘Grand Western Cicada? Looking through various websites, I have seen three different ‘grand western cicadas’ One series of photos clearly shows tibicen auletes, definately NOT the GW. Next series of photos from mid, upper western states, like Illinois, Iowa, etc, show a brightly yellow-marked black tibicen-type cicada. And another set, including the one on this site, shows a very un-tibicen like cicada, with a huge, oversized thorax, and a funny, undersized, narrow head. So just who/what/where is the “GRAND WESTERN CICADA, TIBICEN DORSATA?”
Fred

[Moderator: It’s this: Tibicen dorsata.]

Comment by Fred Berry — August 23, 2005 [AT] 6:01 pm

I have so many cicada in my trees that the trees are now getting rot and are dying. is there anyway i can save my 8 trees with out killing all the cicada? They are a childhood favorite and I wouldnt want to kill them but i just bought my home and the 8 trees have been there forever and id like to keep them too. please help! 2 trees are dead and need to be removed before they fall….please dont let more dye too.

Comment by April Nowell — August 23, 2005 [AT] 8:35 am

Wile on our deck today (August 21, 2005) I spotted and took a picture of this insect that I THINK might be a Tibicen Cicada? I don’t know, I have never seen a Cicada before. Of the pictures I found online, that seemed to be the closest match. Could someone confirm if it is a Cicada, and if so what kind it is? After reading the message here I went back out to take a photo with a newspaper, but it was gone. I have posted 4 pictures on my web site at
http://www.softechvt.com/cicada/cicada.htm.
Thanks!
Steve

[Moderator: it’s definitely a Tibicen, and probably a Tibicen pruinosa.]

Comment by Steve Smith — August 21, 2005 [AT] 11:25 am

Can anyone explain to me why I have been seeing cicada on my trees? I live in SC and this is the first time in the 20 years I have lived here that I have noticed these nasty insects. We used to have them in Northern VA about every 7 years but I though by moving down here they wouldn’t be here. I heard a bunch of them in the pine trees last night when I was in my backyard.

Comment by kim — August 16, 2005 [AT] 1:39 pm

My son found a cicada in the driveway today. It has been extremely hot outside so we brought it inside and made a little habitat for it which includes a pine branch, pine straw, dirt, and water on one end. It immediately grabbed ahold of the pine branch where it remains motionless. I prepared him it will likely have a very limited life span. No loud noises yet. Looks like he may mault and I know the kids will enjoy watching.

PS. I operate a municipal ULV insecticide fogging truck and I felt a little guilty leaving it outside. Plus as slow moving as this guy is, he would no doubt ended up as somebodys lunch.

[Moderator: Well, it could be a female — the females don’t make noise.]

Comment by Russ — August 15, 2005 [AT] 6:18 pm

Hi my son and I are trying to find out some info on cicada’s in our area. We live in Freehold, NJ and have been hearing them at night for weeks now. Tonight there is one perched on our screen door. From the websites I’ve read it says that there would’nt be any emerging in ’05, and that they only live for 2 weeks. They’ve definitly been out there more than 2 weeks.Or am I not getting the right info??
Thanks
Donna

[Moderator: in Jersey you have two basic types of cicadas: 1) the annual type, and 2) the periodical type which arrive every 17 years. Right now you’re seeing the annual type, which belong to the Genus Tibicen]

Comment by Donna D. — August 14, 2005 [AT] 10:39 pm

The Cicadas are here in the Upstate of South Carolina. I live in a little town southwest of Greenville SC called Honea Path. We have Oak and Chesnut Trees and the are singing wonderfully all day like I used to hear them in Southern France.
Now here I need an expert for answers? I heard the same noise last year. Not quite as prominent then this year but still I could hear them well every day.
This year I have been looking around and found some dead Magicicadas.
I am a little lost about this 17 year cicle. How could I have heard some last year and this year.
Are they other types of cicadas that live every year and make a similar noise?
Also as I go about enjoying these wonderful creatures of nature I hear being closer some high pitch singing less loud and frequent?
I would be thankful if anybody can give me more information. Suggestions of site with information and an excellent book about cicadas.
I feel in heaven, romantic and this wonderful noise while reading a book under a tree is an awesome feeling.
Edmond Schafeitel
Honea Path SC

Message by Edmond Schafeitel — August 14, 2005 [AT] 8:38 am

Comment by Edmond Schafeitel — August 14, 2005 [AT] 8:53 am

Yesterday I was at a picnic with my family and spotted what seemed to be a large dragonfly buried in the grass dead. So I kind of kicked at it and it started buzzing. Come to find out it was two cicadas apparently mating. Since my daughter was with me and she likes to collect bugs of all sorts, we put it in a container with leaves and twigs and a catipillar that she had found earlier. How rare is it to find them in the grass like that? Port Huron, MI

Comment by Todd Taylor — August 14, 2005 [AT] 7:53 am

[Moderator: that’s a Tibicen, not a Magicicada, but go on…]

For the last few nights I have had the opportunity to observe the behavior of the Magicicada in my back yard. I live in Marlboro, NJ and this year the air is filled with the sound of the percing buzzing calls of the male cicada and the approving clicks of the females.

I have been painting an official size NBA basketball half court on my driveway. My family is anxious for me to finish so I have been painting into the night with two flood lights. The first night I stayed out late painting (till 2:30 AM) I immediately became aware that this was not going to be a normal night in Marlboro. As night fell, the intensity of the buzzing calls increased and the cicada began gathering in the tree above me (a towering 150 year old red maple tree). As I painted, I noticed that fresh leaves from the tree where slowly raining down around me often accompanied by what appeared to be shoots of dead grass, with their tiny dry rootlets attached. The grass appeared to have been coated with a sticky substance and teased so that the roots and leaves looked like they had been curled.

The leaves also appeared to have been altered. Sections of the leaf to the right and left of the mid-line had been removed in a roughly symetrical pattern, often punctuated by holes on either side. The substance coating the leaves had an acrid musky unpleasant smell (at least to me). It also seamed to be tuning the fresh green leaves a yellow to orange to brown color.

As I continued to paint, the cicadas in the tree above me seemed to be agrivated by my presence. They continued to gather above and the raining down of leaves increased, some landing on me directly. When ever I repositioned the flood lights their calls rose in intensity.
Finally, a particularly large cicada flew down out of the tree and aimed itself directly at my head causing me to duck to avoid a collision. I quickly set the light down and darted away from the spot light, and into the dark shadows of my yard, to avoid a second aireal assault by the cicada. The giant insect touched down directly in the spotlight created by the lamp and took up position as close to the light as possible, It was then that I noticed the bright red glowing eyes of this cicada as it peered into the light and beyond it into the night. I quickly learned the rules of this relationship. Don’t touch the light and don’t block the light. If you do, the arial assaults resume. I finally reached an uneasy peace with the cicada. I could slowly move the light, without prompting aggressive behavior from the cicada, if I made sure to keep the insect in the most prominent position under the spotlight.

All kidding aside, the events I recorded here did happen to me in the middle of the night when I entered the cicada’s space under that old tree. On the succeding three nights it took me to finish the basketball court I encountered the same behavior. I feel I have a deeper understanding of these cicada behaviors now although it contradicts the official excepted version of their behavior.

Has anyone out there had a similar experience with cicadas in their area or witnessed any other unusual behaviors by cicadas? If so I’d love to read about them.

Comment by Daniel Ross — August 13, 2005 [AT] 11:35 pm

Here in Albion my brother and I found a cicada under our outdore table umbrella we don’t know why it was there.We had it in a container but we let it go at night when we were done looking at it it was kewl but we were scared to hold it so we looked up on this website if they bite. And it told us they dont but we did’nt want to take a chance of it laying eggs in us so we decided to show our mom and when we did she freaked out so then we showed our step father and he yelled at us for having it so then like I said we let it free and it didn’t fly cuz it was too cold out and it was raining so then we decided to put it back on our umbrella so it didn’t get wet so it could fly away the next morning and we didnt take it abdomin off like dum rejected people do just for their entertainment. have a nice day c ya bye.

Comment by Heather — August 11, 2005 [AT] 5:56 pm

will there be any more big emergences of magicicada near the baltimore area anytime soon? I’m not expecting any news making hatchings near my home but i would like to drive to a close by place with a fairly large brood brood x was huge in martinsberg wv last year for example.

Comment by Vince Matson — August 10, 2005 [AT] 8:58 pm

hi, i am just curious if what i’ve been seeing on my tree in my yard are cicadas!!! I have found several body casingswhich are brown in color and from the middle of the back of the head to the middle of their back or open with embelicalcords or some kind of feeding line inside I saved four that I found because I found them very interesting and was determined to find out what they were! Well, I will tell you!!!!!!!!!!! I went outside to let my dogs out around eleven thirty pm one evening last week and saw the same brown insect attacted to the tree with it’s front claws several hours later this amazing huge insect was on top of it!! It was about 4 inches long from head to end of body ( body was a tanish color) but the wings on this creature were amazing!! they were theabout 2 to 3 inches long and irridesant green, blue, pink pearly looking. The head was tan/light green in color with black eyes. Was i scared you ask you bettcha!!! because the are so huge!!!!!!!! But i was also intreged an so astonished that this big creature came out of that excoskeleton(is that what they are called I am new to this) i deal with dogs all day i am a dog groomer!!!! So anyway last night at eleven thirty pm I found another one on my tree so i made my boyfriend come out to confirm my findings!!!! Because i really don’t think he beleived me on how big they are! Boy was he amazed and it made him a little nervous we both walked right up to the tree it seemed to be looking right at us it was upon the casing it must have just shed its skin!! Because at first it looks as if they are feeding on another insect until they walk off the body casing and you can see the inside with the embilical cords inside. I came to the conclusion that after they leave their skin they dry their wings rest for a few minutes about 20 minutes or so and they fly away leaving the casing behind!! I have one that i found on the ground it wasn’t injured and so i put in an aquarium and i am patently waiting for it to shed its skin ! once it comes out i will set iot free I believe in that !!! If any one has any information on this creature please let me now………………sincerely, amy the bug lady!!!!

Comment by amy gentile — August 8, 2005 [AT] 4:23 pm

CICADAS ATTACKING GRAPES IN ASIA (Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria)
We are working on a project to assist grape growers in Asia to better manage cicadas that have been found on grape roots. Goals are to: (1) Determine the species of cicada, (2) create bio-control tactics to limit the damage done by the nymphs to grapevines.We would be interested in cicada projects which are being conducted to manage cicadas by any means (bio-control, cultural, and even chemical). Please respond to email Millern [AT] wooster.edu
Thank you

Comment by Nathaniel Miller — August 7, 2005 [AT] 6:56 pm

In Seattle, Aug 6, 2:30 pm, 80+ degreees (Thats quite hot for up here). I cam out of mygarage following a sound that reminded me of an air hose leak or a water hose still left on. I followed it past the house, and cupping my ears, followed the sound to a spot on a doug fir about 100′ high in my front yard. It was coming from what looks to be a squirrel’s nest aobut 30′ up. I had to ask my wife what it was, i have not ever heard these things before. It ended up being a sort of high pitched buzzing noise.

Comment by lloyd — August 7, 2005 [AT] 8:31 am

Well, they are driving me crazy here in eastern Iowa. Very Very loud in our partially wooded backyard. I know they have not been this loud for several years. When I was pumping gas nearby our home there was a cicada (the largest I have ever seen) climbing up the gas pump. It really startled me ( I swear it was staring at me! ) Ha! Anyway, is it possible this is the 17th year here in Cedar Rapids , Iowa? They have been everywhere and the sound at night is almost deafening.

Comment by sara — August 5, 2005 [AT] 10:05 pm

How come t.chloromera sometimes has a black thorax and neon green wings and sometimes doesn’t? My theory is that when they were in molt they were exposed to too much light, or there evolving iton another species.

Also whats the difference in color between t.lyricen and t.robinsonianus? And also when your identifing a cicada does the same species all look pretty much exactlly alike or does it very alot? And if you found one t.pruinosa in north carolina and another in florda would there proportion change any or just the color?

Comment by justin — August 3, 2005 [AT] 4:08 pm

Dear sirs,
In the last few days, that awful sound of the cicada has returned, unexpected in this portion of SE Ohio (Athens). This last weekend, we happened to drive to Canaan Valley, WV (near Davis) and stayed two days… NO NOISE! I assume from this that the current brood hatch is in SE Ohio, but not expansive to the east. Two questions: #1: I can’t find any map or prediction for a brood hatch (of the 17 year nor 13 year cycles) that match this year (looked on the UofMich website). What is the distribution for this year supposed to be? Could this be the 2004 brood running late? #2: Could a cicada “hitch a ride” on our car, transported to a new, virgin teritory like Canaan valley, and start a new infestation in 18 years? Alright, what if a PAIR of them hitched a ride under the hood of my car and dropped off there? I shudder to think what I have done to that paradise if this is true.
Thanks for any help you can supply me… I will share this with our TV viewers. -Kirk G, WTAP TV Weatherman

Comment by Kirk Greenfield — August 1, 2005 [AT] 7:47 am

When I went out for a smoke at about 3am in southern Ontario area, I saw a Cicada on the road, I caught it and I have it in a jar in my room. I thought my cat might get some fun out of viewing it from outside the jar… but as soon as my cat got in my room it went into killing mode. I couldnt go near my cat it was so agitated. Do Cicadas give off a scent that would scare off or perhaps entice predators?

(P.S, the next morning I let the Cicada go about its business back outside, unharmed by my cat)

Comment by Evan — July 29, 2005 [AT] 3:22 am

There is a cicada parked on the outside of my window right now. I live in South Nyack, NY. I happen to have a very deep phobia of bugs, especially flying ones, and the thought of having to deal with a cicada hatching… I didn’t think they came to Nyack!!!

Can someone please verify for me whether or not a brood is hatching right now? In Rockland county New York? I am shaking as I write this. Please let me know if I have to spend the summer elsewhere!!

I know they are hamless. Phobias are irrational. I just am terrified of them. I hope this is a fluke….

Comment by MzOuiser — July 26, 2005 [AT] 12:10 pm

These bugs are scary and it seems that I have a million of them in my yard, can someone tell me when are they going to go away.

Comment by Angelika — July 25, 2005 [AT] 11:14 pm

I have a green and black Cicada and I live in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Are they usually something that lives this far north?

Comment by Johnny — July 25, 2005 [AT] 8:47 am

Okay, I’m sorry if this is a Cicada loving site, but these things are DRIVING ME CRAZY! I live in Atlanta, GA — 2005. Please, please, please someone tell me that I will not have to deal with this here for another 17 years?

Comment by Heather — July 25, 2005 [AT] 7:13 am

hi ronald. i’m shay from south carolina. i “googled” cicadas florida. you should visit http://www.floridanature.org. yes, cicadas do thrive in florida. happy searching!!

Comment by Shay C — July 22, 2005 [AT] 8:45 am

I live and work here in NE Philadelphia. I am from Seattle and this is the first time I have seen this bug. We found one outside our office here at Naval Station NAVICP Philadelphia. I thought it was a giant fly at first, figured he was trying to escape the hurricane season down there. However, I found the pictures of a cicada on your site through yahoo and it was a direct match with the green one I saw. I Just wanted to let you know they were here. John

Comment by John Reynolds — July 22, 2005 [AT] 7:04 am

I found a cicada here in tampa at alafia state park along a bike trail that a ride frequently. I would like to know if this is just an abnormal finding? I kept the insect for proof. I grew up in DC and didnt think that a cicada could or would grow here? Can anyone give me some answers or direction on the possibility or cicadas in Tampa Florida? rcarkhuff [AT] hotmail.com

thanks

Comment by ronald carkhuff — July 21, 2005 [AT] 7:01 pm

O.K. I’M COMPLETELY HOOKED ON CICADAS NOW. I’M FROM THE SOUTH (ENOREE,SC) SO MY SUMMER NIGHTS, ALL MY LIFE, HAVE BEEN FILLED WITH THE BEAUTIFUL SONG OF THESE CREATURES (IT’S ALMOST DEAFENING/BUT LOVELY). BUT SINCE MY SIGHTING LAST NIGHT (I WATCHED ONE EMERGE!) I CAN’T GET ENOUGH INFORMATION!! MY SON AND I WENT OUT THIS AFTERNOON AND SAW SCUDS OF SHELLS UNDER TWO WILD CHERRY TREES. MY QUESTION IS…HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF CICADAS YOU ARE HEARING, OR WHAT KIND ARE IN MY AREA? (PS — LOVED COLLIN’S BAD JOKE COMMENT — HA! HA!)

Comment by Shay C — July 21, 2005 [AT] 6:48 pm

YES…I’VE WITNESSED IT TWICE MYSELF (IN UPSTATE SC). IT’S REALLY KINDA SAD. THE WHOLE COMMOTION OF IT IS HORRIBLE. DON’T REALLY KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT THOUGH.

Comment by Shay C — July 20, 2005 [AT] 9:14 pm

have you ever heard of a cicada killer it looks like a bee part wasp insect i saw one one time carring a cicada

Comment by holly — July 15, 2005 [AT] 1:43 am

Edward,
If you really want to keep a Cicada something like a terrarium would be more suitable. Cicadas have mouth sucking parts known as a beak and they actually suck the Xylem of plants. So what would be good is to get a branch from a tree and stick it in some water then put the cicada on the branch, if you’re lucky you will see it start to feed. They like to feed for about an hour.

Also, Cicadas don’t really live long in captivity maybe about a week to 10 days.

Gerry

Comment by Gerry — July 6, 2005 [AT] 9:34 pm

I just realized that in my excitement I didn’t tell anyone where it was that I found it. I’m in Elmont, N.Y. which is just over the border from Queens, NY.

Comment by edward b ford — July 4, 2005 [AT] 6:46 pm

July 4, 2005
I just found one attached to the louverd window of my basement. It was brown and in pre-emergence mode. I told my kids what it was and that we’d check it out in the morning to see if it had come out. A half an hour later I happend to be going out to the car and took a look at it and low and behold it was half way out. I waited another half hour taking photos before deciding to capture it. I now have it in a tupperware container about 5in deep by 8in wide and 14in long. I put some large wood chips for it to crawl on and some grass and some of the hedge. I also put some “honeysuckle” in there because I’m not sure what they eat. Any how I’d like any and all advice as to what I should do from here. I know that the Chinese keep them as pets. I’m sure that my girls would love that although they are very noisey.

Comment by edward b ford — July 4, 2005 [AT] 6:44 pm

I wanted to write that on june 28, 2005 in The Pas Manitoba Canada, i was out taking a walk and found a bug of the likes I have never seen before. I went home and looked it up and it was a cicada. I was surprised as it does not seem to be native to the north. I feel quite lucky to have found one- it was so big and beautiful (in its own way)
Brandy Stener

Comment by Brandy Stener — June 28, 2005 [AT] 7:34 pm

I wanted to write that on june 28, 2005 in The Pas Manitoba Canada, i was out taking a walk and found a bug of the likes I have never seen before. I went home and looked it up and it was a cicada. I was surprised as it does not seem to be native to the north. I feel quite lucky to have found one- it was so big and beautiful (in its own way)
Brandy Stener

Comment by Brandy Stener — June 28, 2005 [AT] 7:34 pm

Hi, I just wanted to say that on June 28 while out for a walk, I found a cicada. This is the first i have ever seen in my life! I did not even know what it was until i came home home and looked it up. Beautiful and interesting… So far as I know- they are not native to these areas so I feel lucky to have seen one. Brandy S.

Comment by Brandy Stener — June 28, 2005 [AT] 7:26 pm

When do the cicadas usually come out in Michigan? It is hot and muggy here and I am waiting for them.

Comment by Britta — June 24, 2005 [AT] 6:00 am

I found a cicada here in Central Texas in the track of my sliding glass door a few days ago, and it’s the smallest one I’ve ever seen in my life. I guess it never occured to me that they might come in different sizes. It’s small and brown (might have been green when alive), and about 3/4 inch from eyes to wing tip. I have an image I scanned of it with a ruler measuring it. I was actually pretty excited about it. Its always exciting to discover creatures you’ve never seen before, and Texas is full of those kinds of things. (I’m not from Texas) I’d also like to mention it occurred to me that the cicada sounds here are much different, more pleasant, less shrill than in Mississippi or North Carolina, and I also find that interesting. My parents and grammy mentioned the cicadas have not yet come out where they live in Mississippi, which is very unusual. They haven’t heard any this summer yet.

Comment by Mara — June 20, 2005 [AT] 7:38 am

Lately there has been a noise right outside my window at night that sounds just like a cicada. I’m fairly familiar with the sound cicadas make from my travels around the world. The thing is that I live in Western Washington State on the rainy side of the mountains, and I didn’t think that cicadas could live in this area because of the climate. Am I wrong? Can cicadas live in the wet and cold Pacific NW? If not, what sounds just like a cicada and lives in the Pacific NW (that sounds just liket he start to a bad joke)?

Comment by Collin — May 22, 2005 [AT] 1:39 pm

The American writer and naturalist Henry D. Thoreau mentions in his journal “a sort of black eyed septendecim” that began its call (at Concord, Massachusetts) around the first of June in 1854. Would you care to guess what particular species he might have referred to?

Thoreau sent a specimen to Harvard librarian and entomologist Thaddeus William Harris, who responded (apparently referring by “C. 17" to a print or a description in his own book on insects) thus: “The Cicada seems to be a female, and of course when living could not make the noise peculiar to the other sex. It differs from my specimens of Cicada septemdecim (& indeed still more from all the other species in my collection). It is not so large as the C. 17; it has more orange about its thorax; the wing-veins are not so vividly stained with orange, and the dusky zigzag on the anterior or upper wings, which is very distinct in the C. 17, is hardly visible in this specimen. It has much the same form as the female C. 17; but I must see the male in order to determine positively whether it be merely a variety or a different species.”

Comment by Bradley P. Dean — May 17, 2005 [AT] 3:31 pm

You might see some stagglers in the DC area. Nothing like last years emergence, but a few here and there.

Comment by Administrator — May 11, 2005 [AT] 7:33 am

Im curious will or when there be Cicada sight seeing in wash Dc area?

Comment by Merritt — May 10, 2005 [AT] 11:27 pm

Long Island’s Brood X disappointment.
Is it possible that the small emergence last year was simply an early emergence of Brood XIV four years early? Brood XIV is the dominant brood in this area and 4 year early emergences have been noted in many areas in the past. I suspect that previous appearances of Brood X on Long Island may have actually been actually members of Brood XIV.

Comment by AJay — May 9, 2005 [AT] 12:47 pm