A great moment in comic book history: Steel versus the Giant Cicadas (Absorbascon blog).
Hilarious.
Thanks to Spandex Justice for unearthing this gem.
December 2, 2006
November 17, 2006
Melanie Chang’s Magicicada Photos
Here’s some nostalgia for you: Brood X photos from Burke, VA, June 2004, taken by Melanie Chang.
Click the images for a larger version.
November 14, 2006
The 9 on Yahoo!
This goes to show how oblivious I am in general: Cicada Mania was featured on The 9 on Yahoo! last week. I watch The 9 on my lunch break, so I don’t know how I missed it. Thanks Yahoo!
November 12, 2006
Side views of N. pruinosus and M. figuratus
Tibicen season is officially over in central Mississippi. Here’s some great side view photos from Paul Krombholz.
Neotibicen pruinosus pruinosus (Say, 1825):
Megatibicen figuratus (Walker, 1858):
Cicadaville
Back in 2004 there was a cicada humor site called Cicadaville. It was a funny site, for sure, but they drove me crazy because people would believe their “Cicadas kill Save yourself” slogan and then ask me how they could protect themselves.
Here’s an example of their humor:
FACT: Cicadas are vicious killers.
FACT: Cicadas prey on innocent children and pets.
FACT: Cicadas are seething with deadly venom and flesh-eating bacteria.
FACT: This year Cicadas will kill more people than snakes, spiders, scorpions, and sharks combined!
You can still see some of the site via the Internet Archive Wayback Machine and here’s another version (found on 1/20/21). The funny people behind the Cicadaville site have another humor site called Derf Magazine. Check it out.
November 6, 2006
A Quick Thanks
Thanks to Metafilter, Mirth, Musings, & More and Site of the Day for an unexpected burst of visitors. Normally the site is sleeping at this time of year.
November 4, 2006
Jim Kost’s Cicada Photo
Here’s a cicada photo from Jim Kost. I like the black stipe on the beak.
October 21, 2006
Superb Neotibicen Photos from Todd Quinn
Todd Quinn send us some superb Neoibicen photos. Click the photos below to see huge versions.
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
This photo is incredible. Check out the detail on the eyes!
September 25, 2006
Magicicada Curveball
I bet you thought I was going to post another Tibicen photo! Here’s a Magicicada photo Ryan Anderson took during the 2002 brood XXIII emergence in Kentucky.
Now is a good a time as any to point out the difference between Magicicadas and Tibicens:
Magicicadas:
- Emerge in en masse in groups called broods
- There are 15 different broods. Broods emerge every 13 or 17 years depending on the brood. No broods emerged in 2006.
- Magicicadas have red eyes, black bodies and orange legs and wings
- Other names for Magicicadas: periodical cicadas, “locusts”, 17-year cicadas, 13-year cicadas
Tibicens:
- Emerge in limited numbers, and not in broods
- Emerge every year
- Tibicens are typically larger than Magicicadas. Tibicens are usually a combination of green, black, or brown.
- Other names for Tibicens: Harvest Flies, annual cicadas, Dog-Day cicadas
Indiana Tibicen
Catherine M from sent us these photos of a Neotibicen entering the adulthood.
