Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.
Periodical cicada Brood XXI is extinct. It was a small brood of Magicicada with a 13-year lifecycle. It was last seen/heard in 1870. Visit Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) for more information.
Map from Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C. : U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology:
Continuing from part 1, Elias Bonaros did some digging and took these photos of first and second instar Magicicada periodical cicadas on a warm winter day (March 21, 2010).
Now you know what cicadas look like when they’re underground!
Generally speaking the ones with the bulbous abdomens are second instar, and the smaller ones with the less bulbous or not bulbous abdomens are first instar.
Have you every wondered what cicadas look like when they’re underground? Elias Bonaros did some digging and took these photos of first and second instar Magicicada periodical cicadas on a warm winter day (March 21, 2010). Magicicadas have 5 instars, or phases of development. Each phase has a slightly different appearance.
This is a probable second instar nymph of Magicicada septendecim (Periodical cicada) from the 2008 Brood XIV emergence. Dug up from beneath an oak tree. It was living approximately 4-6 inches from the ground surface. Temperature 70 degrees.
These are probable first and second instar nymphs of Magicicada septendecim (Periodical cicada) from the 2008 Brood XIV emergence. Dug up from beneath an oak tree. They were living approximately 4-6 inches from the ground surface. Temperature 70 deg.
Magicicada skins (exuvia) blanket the ground around the roots of a tree. This is a photo of periodical cicada skins taken by John Cooley of Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) in Warriors’ Path State Park, TN, in 2012. Brood I.
Photos of Magicicada cicadas with white & blue eyes by Roy Troutman from 2004.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with blue eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with blue eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with white eyes by Roy Troutman.
Photo of a Magicicada cicada with white eyes by Roy Troutman.
17-year Magicicada Photos by Gwen Elferdink from Brood X 2004.
It’s been about six weeks since the emergence of Brood VIII in Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia and Oklahoma. Now (first week of August) is a good a time as any to check for periodical cicada nymphs that have hatched from eggs laid in branches. Once they hatch they’ll find their way to the ground, where they’ll find and begin feeding on roots for the next 17 years.
Look on branches where cicada laid their eggs.
An illustraition of egg nests:
A nymph on a branch with adult male finger for comparison:
Close up:
Another close up:
This year Brood VIII periodical cicadas emerged in the Pittsburgh area, and I traveled to see and map them. Unfortunately, I only had 3 days, so I only saw the western side of the Brood.
All things considered — including cool, cloudy weather (which cicadas don’t like as much as hot & sunny) and a very rainy spring — Brood VIII was the least impressive brood I’ve witnessed, in terms of the sheer number of cicadas. I hope no one in the Pittsburgh area takes offense to that statement — Brood VIII is your brood, and you should be proud of it. It is just that as we humans build more and more, and continue to alter the environment, the numbers of cicadas will steadily dwindle. and I think we’re seeing that happen to Brood VIII.
Here’s an impromptu map of the places I saw cicadas:
And a list of places:
And some photos:
Video of the amazing cicada that was just a head.
A very cool Brood VIII cicada frisbee:
Cicada Safari App Frequently Asked Questions:
Gene Kritsky working with the Center for IT Engagement at Mount St. Joseph University in Cincinnati.
Probably Gene Kritsky and the Center for IT Engagement is your best route. Be polite. The app has 250,000 users and only a handful of people to approve cicada sightings.
Gene is the Charles Lester Marlatt of the 21st century. Gene is a periodical cicada expert, researcher & professor. Buy his latest book, Periodical Cicadas: The Brood X Edition, now.
Choose wisely: Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
As of June 1st 2021, over 250,000 people have downloaded the app.
Yes, you can! See a map of sightings from the Cicada Safari app.
Of course the app has a website. Here’s the website.
Judging by screenshots of the app, it looks like you can 1) identify cicadas, 2) take a photo and share it, 3) map the location where you found it, 4) compete with other cicada scientists for the most cicadas found. Looks that way at least. The app lets you submit cicadas photos of any species.
Try the iNaturalist apps.
Not that I know of, but you can always ask Gene Kritsky. Feel free to leave a comment on this website or the Facebook Cicada Discussion Group.
Cicada Mania is not affiliated with the Cicada Safari app. Cicada Mania is not paid to endorse or promote it. We promote it because we like it.
Brood VIII will next emerge in 2036.
Periodical cicada Brood VIII (Eight) has emerged in 2019 in western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and the tip of the northern panhandle of West Virginia, as well as Oklahoma (which was unexpected). The last time this brood emerged was in 2002.
What, when, where, and why:
What:
When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8" beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit. A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence.
Other tips: these cicadas will emerge after the trees have grown leaves, and, by my own observation, around the same time Iris flowers bloom.
Where:
Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) has the most up to date maps, including this modernized Google map.
You can report cicada sightings using the Cicada Safari App, available for iPhones/iOS and Android phones. The app helps you identify periodical cicada species, take photos and add your findings to a map.
More Location Tips:
Visually, the cities mentioned above look like this:
Why: Why do they emerge in massive numbers every 17-years? In a nutshell, the long life cycle has helped them avoid gaining a specific above-ground predator, and the massive numbers allow them to satiate predators in general, allowing enough to survive and reproduce.
Bonus content:
Video of newly emerged periodical cicada nymphs:
Magicicada cicada nymph mania from Cicada Mania on Vimeo.
More facts and fun:
