Cicada Mania

Dedicated to cicadas, the most amazing insects in the world.

April 14, 2020

Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758) aka Linnaeus’s 17-Year Cicada

Filed under: Lamotialnini | Magicicada | Periodical | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 5:30 pm

Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758) aka Linnaeus’s 17-Year Cicada aka Decim Periodical Cicada aka Pharaoh Cicada.

Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758)
Photo credit: by Dan Mozgai. Brood II, NJ.

Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ. Abdomen
Photo credit: by Dan Mozgai. Brood II, NJ.

All Magicicada septendecim information and images on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Distress


Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. septendecim

Song type: Court II


Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. septendecim

Song type: Call


Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. septendecim

Song type: Court III


Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. septendecim

Song type: Court I


Source: ©Cicada Mania | Species: M. septendecim

Video

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Identification Tips

M. septendecim is the largest of the 17-Year species. Its abdomen has thick orange stripes. It has orange coloring between its eye and wing. Its song sounds like “Wee-Oh”, “Pharaoh” and a group of them are said to sound like a “UFO from a science fiction movie”.

Color between the eye and wing insertion:
color magicicada septendecim

M. septendecim Brood Chart

Magicicada septendecim has a 17-year lifecycle.

Brood Years States
I (1) 1961, 1978, 1995, 2012, 2029 TN, VA, WVA
II (2) 1962, 1979, 1996, 2013, 2030 CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA
III (3) 1963, 1980, 1997, 2014, 2031 IA, IL, MO
IV (4) 1964, 1981, 1998, 2015, 2032 IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX
V (5) 1965, 1982, 1999, 2016, 2033 LI NY, western MD, east OH, south-west PA, north-west VA, northern half of WV
VI (6) 1949, 1966, 1983, 2000, 2017 GA, NC, SC, WI, OH
VII (7) 1950, 1967, 1984, 2001, 2018 NY
VIII (8) 1951, 1968, 1985, 2002, 2019 OH, PA, WVA and OK
IX (9) 1952, 1969, 1986, 2003, 2020 NC, VA, WVA
X (10) 1953, 1970, 1987, 2004, 2021 DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WVA, Washington DC
XIII (13) 1956, 1973, 1990, 2007, 2024 IA, IL, IN, MI, WI
XIV (14) 1957, 1974, 1991, 2008, 2025 GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WVA

Name, Location and Description

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadettinae
Tribe: Lamotialnini
Subtribe: Tryellina
Genus: Magicicada
Species: Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758)

List of sources

  1. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  2. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  3. Locations: Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org)
  4. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.
  5. Tribe information comes from: MARSHALL, DAVID C. et al.A molecular phylogeny of the cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) with a review of tribe and subfamily classification.Zootaxa, [S.l.], v. 4424, n. 1, p. 1—64, may 2018. ISSN 1175-5334. Available at: https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/view/zootaxa.4424.1.1

Notes:

  • Some descriptions are based on aged specimens which have lost some or a lot of their color.

3 Comments »

  1. Xander Cameron says:

    I live in southwestern Ohio, where brood X is currently emerging. I am wondering which species of periodical cicada is most abundant among Brood X, if any species specifically. And if it also depends on where you are on the brood’s range, which species is most abundant in SW Ohio/the Cincinnati area? Again, if any species specifically.

  2. Thalia says:

    Very cool! Started researching this due to a conversation about childhood summer memories… I have to admit I’m extremely impressed with this species and the amount of information I never knew! I’m officially a fan now, and looking forward to Brood X’s arrival next year!
    Thank you!

Leave a comment. Questions about plants or snakes are deleted.

Leave a Reply to Thalia Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cicada T-shirts