Cicada Mania

13 Years of Cicada Mania

Cicada Mania is 13 years old.

In 1996, I started the site to document some Brood II Magicicada photos I took in my back yard and at a friend’s wedding, and the site took off from there.

The site has had 7 different URLs over the years.

In 2004, during the Brood X emergence, the site received 50,000 visitors in a single day and I was interviewed on CNN (Ted Nugent haircut in a ponytail):

2007 and 2008 were great as well. In 2007 I got to meet fellow cicada enthusiasts Roy Troutman, Gene Kritsky, Gerry Bunker and Joe Green, and I was interviewed for a Japanese TV show:

And in 2008 I drove out to Ohio and stayed with Roy Troutman, met Gene Kritsky again, and met John Cooley for the first time.

Here’s the original logo:

It’s been a fun 13 years.

Brood II Magicicada Pop Culture

Magicicada photos from Sandy Aiello

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

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

Brood II Magicicada Periodical Stragglers

Magicicada septendecim photos

Post author By Dan
Post date May 26, 2009
1 Comment on Magicicada septendecim photos

On Monday (Memorial Day) I was lucky enough to find a lone Magicicada septendecim brood II straggler in Metuchen, NJ. This is a male, and he was about 1.5 inches or 3.8 centimeters long.

Molted Male Magicicada septendecim

Male Magicicada septendecim

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

Cicadas have 3 tiny eyes called ocelli:
ocelli

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

Tags M. septendecim

Brood II Brood XIV Magicicada

Brood II Emerging in New Jersey and New York

Post author By Dan
Post date May 23, 2009
7 Comments on Brood II Emerging in New Jersey and New York

According to messages left on this site, as well as the magicicada.org map, Brood II cicadas have emerged in New Jersey and New York. I’m in New Jersey, and I plan on looking for cicadas this weekend.

So far:

Brood II stragglers are emerging (4 years ahead of schedule) in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

Brood XIV stragglers are emerging (1 year after they’re supposed to) in Ohio.

Update:

I found some skins in Metuchen, NJ tonight. Apologies for the quality of the photo — I only had my cell phone with me (cell phones were not good in 2008).

Brood II stragglers

Brood II Brood XIV Magicicada Periodical Stragglers Roy Troutman

Brood XIV stragglers confirmed as well as Brood II

Post author By Dan
Post date May 20, 2009
No Comments on Brood XIV stragglers confirmed as well as Brood II

So, we already know that Brood II stragglers are emerging in places like North Carolina and Virginia. Brood II cicadas weren’t due until 2013, which means the Brood II cicadas emerging now are emerging 4 years ahead of schedule.

At the same time, Brood XIV stragglers are emerging in Ohio (Batavia, Ohio to be exact). Brood XIV emerged in full-force last year, which means some Brood XIV cicadas emerging now are emerging 1 year behind schedule.

If you compare the Brood II map and Brood XIV map you’ll see they don’t overlap. Hint: open each map in a different browser or browser tab and toggle between the two.

Here’s some pictures of the Brood XIV stragglers Roy Troutman found just tonight in Batavia, Ohio.

Brood II Magicicada

More Brood II Straggler Reports

Post author By Dan
Post date May 15, 2009
2 Comments on More Brood II Straggler Reports

Sightings have been reported in Fredericksburg and Springfield Virginia on our message board (although the reports ended up in the wrong message board).

A sighting from the basement of a Staten Island home was reported on the Entomology-Cicadidae Yahoo Group (rip).

Many people have reported sightings on the magicicada.org site, including locations in Virginia, Maryland and of course North Carolina.

Bonus points if you spot a straggler with the massospora cicadina fungus:

Magicicada with Fungus

Finding cicadas with this fungus (which is relatively common during normal emergence years) would help disprove theories as to why they’re emerging early.

Brood II Magicicada Periodical Stragglers

Brood II Stragglers Emerging in New Locations

Post author By Dan
Post date May 7, 2009
2 Comments on Brood II Stragglers Emerging in New Locations

John Zyla of Cicadas.info has a report of a Brood II Magicicada (decim) found in Hollywood, St. Mary’s Co, MD.

If you find a cicada make sure you report it to Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org) (Dr. John Cooley), and if in the Mid-Atlantic region report it to Cicadas.info (John Zyla) as well.

I’m pretty psyched — looks like some Brood II stragglers might emerge in New Jersey.

Brood II Magicicada

Be on the look out for Brood II cicadas!

Post author By Dan
Post date May 6, 2009
2 Comments on Be on the look out for Brood II cicadas!

Brood II isn’t set to emerge for 4 more years, however it appears that Brood II cicadas are emerging 4 years ahead of time in some places. See our previous post about the cicadas emerging in Greensboro NC.

Here’s a map of Brood II’s range.

If you do see or hear a Magicicada emerge this year, report it to Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org).

And don’t forget to upload photos and video to your YouTubes, Flickrs, FaceBooks, MySpace, etc, and tell us about it.

Image of Magicicada:

Magicicadas

Brood II Brood XIV Magicicada Periodical

Magicicada septendecim emerging in Greensboro, NC

Post author By Dan
Post date May 4, 2009
6 Comments on Magicicada septendecim emerging in Greensboro, NC

Tommy Joseph took these photos of Magicicada septendecim emerging Greensboro, North Carolina.

Update: looking at the maps, they probably aren’t brood XIV. Looks like they are Brood II accelerated 4 years, or Brood XIX accelerated 2 years (which would make them 13 year cicadas).

Big pile of skins:
Big pile of cicada skins