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!
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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):
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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.
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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.
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Jim Kost’s Cicada Photo
Here’s a cicada photo from Jim Kost. I like the black stipe on the beak.
Todd Quinn send us some superb Neoibicen photos. Click the photos below to see huge versions.
This photo is incredible. Check out the detail on the eyes!
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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
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Indiana Tibicen
Catherine M from sent us these photos of a Neotibicen entering the adulthood.
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Michigan Tibicens
Patrick Farr sent us this cool picture of two adult cicadas climbing on his hand. They’re Tibicens, but I’m not sure of the species.
Gerry Bunker said in the comments that this is likely a T. canicularis.
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New Jersey Cicada
Marsha M. sent us this photo of a Neotibicen tibicen (T. chloromerus, T. chloromera) from New Jersey! Read more about it on her blog.
