Cicada Mania

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January 1, 2021

The 17-Year Cicada – Something I wrote in 1997

Filed under: Cicada Mania | Magicicada | Periodical — Dan @ 12:00 pm

This is from my “Cicada Humor” page from 1996-1997. It’s semi-humorous. For serious information visit the facts-only 17-year cicada page.

The 17-Year Cicada

Every 17 years a fearsome biological monstrosity drags its way to the surface of the earth. It comes only to mate and spawn; however, it imparts terror and disgust in the hearts and minds of every man, woman, child, and beast unfortunate enough to cross its path. This is no Hollywood fantasy, ladies and gentlemen, this creature is real, horribly real! Cast your trembling eyes upon mother nature’s most disturbing insectoid aberration…T

The Cicada a.k.a. “The 17-Year Locust”
July 17th, 1997

Seriously, folks, the cicada isn’t a locust, it’s, well, a cicada (a member of the Homoptera order of insects). These charming creatures are best known for their intense mating call, which sounds more or less like a lawn sprinkler, or a miniature AH-64 Apache Black Helicopter. When 10,000 or so of these suckers start screaming in your neighborhood you’ll think you’re in the middle of Apocalypse Now. Nowisthe time! Depending on where you live, these heinous herbivores should be dive-bombing your friends and family any day now.

Actually, they are more likely tofallout of a tree thanfly, but, rest assured, they will be landing somewhere on your body sometime soon.

Ilive in central New Jersey and right now we are up to our mandibles in a plague of these sap slurping oddities. Some breeds, including the green/yellow striped cicadas, rear their ugly heads every year, but, fortunately not in great numbers. The “periodic”, black-bodied, red-eyed, spawn of Beelzebub cicadas only present themselves once every 17 years;unfortunately,there are literally millions of them. Worst of all, they have a face, just like you or me!

Periodic cicadas live to be 17 years old (13 years in southern states), which means they’re the only insect that qualifies for a driver’s license in New Jersey. Actually, these creatures only spend two to four weeks of their lives as an adult. They spend the first 17 years underground sucking on roots! Exciting! Once the adults have mated, the female drills a hole in a tree branch with her butt (technically her ovipositor) and lays her eggs. The eggs soon hatch and the “nymphs” fall to the ground where they feed on root sap. As soon as the adults mate they croak and drop to the ground where they will decay and stink. If I were you I wouldn’t hang out under any trees this year. In the end, your best offense will be a shovel and a bucket, or, a hungry golden retriever.

Dan’s Cicada Diary for 1996

  1. Sunday, May 19th: Metuchen, New Jersey; I found the first desiccated cicada nymph exoskeleton on my patio. My cat disappears.
  2. Tuesday, May 21st: I found about 40 nymph exoskeletons on my patio, a pine tree and a maple tree. I also spotted an adult climbing the maple and two crippled adults rolling about the base of the tree.
  3. Wednesday, May 22nd: Bonanza! I found about 500 adults perched on just about everything in my yard: trees, patio furniture, the foundation of my home, the garden hose, garbage cans, the missing cat’s water dish, my hair…just plain everywhere! Gruesome!
  4. Saturday, May 25th: Avenel, New Jersey; Party at the Ritzow’s. Literally hundreds of adult cicadas perched high above in oak trees sneer at decadent humans sipping martini’s, playing croquet. Bourgeois homosapiens…bah humbug!
  5. Thursday, May 30th: Metuchen, New Jersey; Still no sign of the cat. Sitting outside on my patio around 8:30pm I hear a “snap”, “crackle” and “popping” sound. Rice Crispies? No. More like cicadas nymphs crawling out of their holes and on to my garden wall to molt into adult hood. Not the loveliest sight.
  6. Saturday, June 1st: Westfield, New Jersey; Dave Wilson and Claire Adas’ wedding. A beautiful ceremony and reception, with the exception of the 9000 uninvited cicadas: crawling up peoples legs, crunching underfoot, landing in refreshments…a moment to cherish and remember!
  7. Tuesday, June 4th: North Edison, New Jersey; The cicadas have begun to sing! All together they sound like a Boeing 767 is circling 40 feet overhead. The sound is that awesome. 10 inch deep piles of dying post coitus adults litter the base of trees. The invasion has only begun!
  8. Wednesday, June 5th – Monday, June 17th: Metuchen, North Edison, Colonia, Avenel, New Jersey; The invasion is in full effect! Home owners in North Edison and Colonia report having to haul away the dying bodies of cicadas in wheelbarrows! Residents describe the cicadas’ combined mating screams as “loud as a UFO” [how do they know what a UFO sounds like?] and “like a Mack Truck was floating ten foot above your head”! Someone even told me cicadas taste like shrimp! I guess they made the best of a bad situation.
  9. Wednesday, June 26th: Metuchen, New Jersey; It appears the invasion is over. All that remains is the dismembered, rotting corpses and the memories, sweet, sweet, memories. But remember, They’ll be back…in the year 2013!
  10. Saturday, August 3rd: Metuchen, New Jersey; Looking out my second story window I can clearly see the damage done by the 17-year cicadas. Brown patches of dead leaves speckle local oak and maple trees, revealing the branches where the female cicada has chosen to lay her eggs; an interesting “natural disaster”, but, not as heart-breaking as an earth quake or a flood. Clearly the most provocative news regarding cicadas is the current hatch of annual cicadas, which are larger than the “17-year” cicadas (thoroughly illustrated within this web page) and greener. Another dissimilarity is the difference in their respective mating calls: while the “17-year” cicada makes a whirring sound somewhere between the motor of a vacuum cleaner and a car alarm, the “annual” cicada sounds more like a lawn sprinkler or maybe a sewing machine. Although I can clearly hear hundreds of “annual” cicadas and I have found their shells, I haven’t visually located a single one ! Another cicada related event has been the recent hatch of “cicada killer” wasps. These two-inch long giant wasps only prey upon, our friend, the defenseless cicada. I haven’t located these creatures either, but, they are definitely out there. Cicadas beware!
  11. Wednesday, August 26th: Metuchen, New Jersey; the Tibicen cicadas continue to sing…
  12. Wednesday, November 6th: Metuchen, New Jersey; they are all dead or sucking on roots underground.

Cute names for the not so cute Cicada

  • Flying cigar butts
  • Flying turds
  • The harbingers of apocalypse
  • Impromptu doggie treats, hors d’oeuvres, missing Monopoly piece, etc…
  • Sky Fudge
  • Satan’s Parakeets
  • Living hair curlers
  • The name of an annoying acquaintance (example: “Blitzers”)
  • Tree roaches
  • Airbourne car alarms
  • Sleeping bag buddies

July 12, 2020

Chicago Area Periodical Cicada Emergences in 2020

Filed under: Accelerations | Brood XIII | Magicicada | Periodical Stragglers | United States — Dan @ 10:04 am

Many periodical cicadas emerged four years early in the Chicago area in 2020. These cicadas belong to the Brood XIII (13) which is set to emerge in 2024, and last emerged in 2007. Periodical cicadas often emerge in years proceeding or following the year their brood is expected to emerge. This phenomenon is called straggling. Most of the time these “stragglers” emerge in small numbers and are quickly eaten by predators, and do not go on to sing, chorus (synchronized singing for the purpose of attracting females), mate, and lay eggs. Sometimes they emerge in numbers large enough to survive, chorus, and reproduce — this seems to have happened in the Chicago area in 2020. It is thought this is how new broods formed over the millennia — cicadas emerge 4 or 1 year early in significant numbers and form a new brood. When enough stragglers emerge to successfully reproduce it is called an acceleration.

So, is a new brood forming around Chicago? Is this due to climate change or localized “heat islands”? Will the progeny of these stragglers emerge in 13, 17 or 21 years? Lots of questions — but we’ll need to wait quite some time to answer them.

There is a precedence for Brood XIII cicadas straggling in the Chicago area:

In 1969 massive numbers of periodical cicadas emerged in the Chicago suburbs 1 (Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. 1995).

In 1986, another 4-year acceleration was observed in the Chicago area by Monte Lloyd 1.

In 2003, many people left observations on our forums. Observations were made in Glenview, Flossmoor, Riverside, Downers Grove, Homewood, Westmont, Oak Park, and Hinsdale. Here are some examples:

Magicicada emerging this evening

Date: Wednesday, Jun/4/2003

As I went for a walk this evening I noticed quite a few periodic cicadas emerging in the grass, crawling on the sidewalks and on the trunks of trees. This is not our year for the 17-year brood. We should not have them until 2007. Has anyone else in the Chicago area seen these cicadas? — Sue, Flossmoor, IL

Cicada singing

Date: Monday, Jun/9/2003

I heard the cicadas singing for the first time this morning after my walk. Now that I have my doors open I can hear them on and off. — Sue, Flossmoor, IL

In 2020 many people left comments on the Brood XIII page, emailed us (thanks Neil) and left sightings via the Cicada Safari app.

1Williams, K.S. & Simon, C. 1995. The Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution of Periodical Cicadas. Annual Review of Entomology. Vol. 40:269-295 (https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.en.40.010195.001413).

May 27, 2020

Where will 17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicada Broods emerge next?

Filed under: Broods | Lamotialnini | Magicicada | Periodical | Periodical Stragglers | United States — Tags: , , , , , , — Dan @ 9:59 pm

Skip to a section: Broods | Your Town | Pre Emergence Signs | Compare Magicicada Species.

17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicadas

Alerts: Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) emerge in 2024. The last time these broods co-emerged was 1803. April 11th: Magicicada cicadas have begun to emerge. Little by little and before you know it the full emergences will begin.

Magicicada Chorus. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood X (2004) by Dan Mozgai:

Magicicada Brood Chart

The Brood Chart features the names of the broods (Roman numerals), their life cycle length when they will emerge next, which states they’ll emerge in, links to Maps, the species that will emerge, and other information. Click the maps for larger, detailed maps.

Brood 17 or 13 Year Stragglers Probable States & Species
I (1) 17 1961, 1978, 1995, 2012, 2029 2025 (-4), 2028 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: TN, VA, WV
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_01/
II (2) 17 1962, 1979, 1996, 2013, 2030 2026 (-4), 2029 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: CT, GA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OK, PA, VA
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_02/
III (3) 17 1963, 1980, 1997, 2014, 2031 2027 (-4), 2030 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, IL, MO
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_03/
IV (4) 17 1964, 1981, 1998, 2015, 2032 2028 (-4), 2031 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, KS, MO, NE, OK, TX
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_04/
V (5) 17 1965, 1982, 1999, 2016, 2033 2029 (-4), 2032 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: LI NY, MD, OH, PA, VA, WV
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_05/
VI (6) 17 1966, 1983, 2000, 2017, 2034 2030 (-4), 2933 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. septendecula.
States: GA, NC, SC, WI, OH
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_06/
VII (7) 17 1967, 1984, 2001, 2018, 2035 2031 (-4), 2034 (-1) Species: M. septendecim.
States: NY
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_07/
VIII (8) 17 1968, 1985, 2002, 2019, 2036 2032 (-4), 2035 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: OH, PA, WV and OK
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_08/
IX (9) 17 1969, 1986, 2003, 2020, 2037 2033 (-4), 2036 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: NC, VA, WV
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_09/
X (10) 17 1970, 1987, 2004, 2021, 2038 2034 (-4), 2037 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV, Washington
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_10/
XIII (13) 17 1956, 1973, 1990, 2007, 2024, 2041 2023 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: IA, IL, IN, MI, WI
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_13/
XIV (14) 17 1957, 1974, 1991, 2008, 2025, 2042 2021 (-4), 2024 (-1) Species: M. septendecim, M. cassini, M. septendecula.
States: GA, IN, KY, MA, MD, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, WV
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_14/
XIX (19) 13 1972, 1985, 1998, 2011, 2024, 2037 2023 (-1) Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OK, SC, TN, VA
Brood XIX mini map
XXII (22) 13 1975, 1988, 2001, 2014, 2027, 2040 2023 (-4), 2026 (-1) Species: M. tredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: KY, LA, MS, OH
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_22/
XXIII (23) 13 1976, 1989, 2002, 2015, 2028, 2041 2024 (-4), 2027 (-1) Species: M. tredecim, M. neotredecim, M. tredecassini, M. tredecula.
States: AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, TN
https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_23/

When will they emerge?

Generally speaking, these cicadas will begin to emerge when the soil 8″ beneath the ground reaches 64 degrees Fahrenheit (Heath, 1968). A nice, warm rain will often trigger an emergence. They typically emerge in May but have been known to emerge in late April or early June. It all depends on the weather.

What should you look for before they emerge?

Chimneys / Turrets

Look for cicada chimneys a.k.a. turrets. These are structures cicadas build out of the soil, positioned above the hole where they will emerge.

Chimney

Holes

Look for holes in the diameter of an adult’s finger near the root system of a tree. These are sure signs that cicadas will emerge in the area.

Holes

Cicadas Under Stones & Slates

You might discover some cicada nymphs while turning over stones or when performing landscaping chores.

Cicada tunneling under slate

What do they look like when they emerge:

Here is a great video of Magicicada nymphs once they have emerged from the ground:


Nymph

This is a recently emerged nymph crawling up a tree. Note that its eyes are red.

Nymph

Once cicadas nymphs have emerged from the ground, they will try to find a tree (or similar vertical surface), and then begin the process of shedding their old nymph skins (ecdysis), expanding their wings, and changing to their adult coloring. Watch this amazing transformation.

Teneral

How to tell the difference between the seven Magicicada species:

Left to right: Magicicada cassini, Magicicada septendecula, Magicicada septendecim:

Left to right: Magicicada cassini, Magicicada septendecula, Magicicada septendecim:

The first way is based on the Brood. Take a look at the Brood chart above, and see which species appear with the Brood.

There are 3 basic types of Magicicada: “‘Decims”, “‘Cassini” and “‘Deculas”.

“Decims” aka Pharaoh Cicadas

There are three species in this category:

  1. Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758). 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-X, XIII, XIV.
  2. Magicicada neotredecim Marshall and Cooley 2000. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXIII.
  3. Magicicada tredecim (Walsh and Riley, 1868). 13-year life cycle. Brood: XIX, XXII, XXIII.

Their songs are very similar, however, when M. neotredecim & M. tredecim emerge in the same location, M. neotredecim’s song takes a higher pitch. Sounds like “Pharaoh, Pharaoh!”.

Visual Appearance:

M. septendecim
Male on left; Female on right.

M. neotredecim & M. septendecim have broad orange stripes with more orange than black on their abdomens.

M. tredecim
M. tredecim, by comparison, have almost entirely orange abdomens.

eye to wing
M. septendecim cicadas also have an area of orange coloring between the eye and the wing (pronotal extension).

“Cassini” aka Dwarf Cicadas

There are two species in this category:

  1. Magicicada cassini (Fisher, 1851). 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-V, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
  2. Magicicada tredecassini Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXII.

Their songs are essentially identical:

M. cassini Call and Court:

Note how it makes a quick burst of sound, followed by some rapid clicks.

Visual Appearance:

M. cassini
Female on left; Male on right.
M. tredecassin & M. cassini cicadas have black abdomens with virtually no orange at all. Orange stripes are possible in the mid-west (important to note for Brood IV).

“Decula”

There are two species in this category:

  1. Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 17-year life cycle. Broods: I-VI, VIII-X, XIII, XIV.
  2. Magicicada tredecula Alexander and Moore, 1962. 13-year life cycle. Broods: XIX, XXII, XXIII.

Their songs are essentially identical:

M. tredecula Call:

Note the “tick, tick, tick” rhythm of the call.

Visual Appearance:

M. septendecula
Female on left; Male on right.
M. septendecula & M. tredecula have stripes that feature more black than orange. Otherwise, they’re very similar to M. cassini.

How to figure out if they’re coming to your town?

  1. Verify that they’re coming to your state. Check the Magicicada Brood Chart on this page.
  2. Check Cicada Brood Maps linked from this page to see if they’re coming to your general area.
  3. Check to see if they’re coming to your neighborhood. Good sources include:
    1. Check the Cicada Central Magicicada Database to see the counties where cicadas have appeared in the past.
    2. Ask someone who lived there 17 (or 13) years before.
    3. Old timers (hint: old timers usually call them locusts).
    4. Check your local Library for old newspaper articles.
    5. Check with a local college: contact the entomology, forestry, or agriculture-related departments.
    6. Your local national, state, county, and town parks department (parks and rec). Some county parks departments plan events around cicada emergences.
  4. When will they emerge?
    1. They will emerge sometime in the Spring, for sure.
    2. They typically emerge once the soil 8 inches (20 cm) below the surface gets to 64 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celcius). At that temperature, they will start digging their tunnels to the surface. After a couple of days with above-ground temperatures near the 80’s F, and after a good rain, they will emerge. Read this paper for more info: Thermal Synchronization of Emergence in Periodical “17-year” Cicadas (Homoptera, Cicadidae, Magicicada) by James Edward Heath, American Midland Naturalist, Vol. 80, No. 2. (Oct. 1968), pp. 440-448.
    3. Cicadas in sunny areas of your yard will emerge before cicadas in shady areas.
    4. Cicadas in the southernmost states will emerge before cicadas in the northern states.
    5. You can try the Cicada Emergence Formula as well.
  5. If you don’t want them to damage your young or ornamental trees
    1. Spray them off with a garden hose.
    2. Foil around the trunk (to keep them from crawling up) (thanks Deborah).
    3. Insect barrier tape.
    4. Netting placed around & over the tree. “Insect barrier netting”. “Fruit tree covers”.
    5. Bagpipes (no joke, it worked at my friend’s wedding).
    6. Don’t use pesticides – we like all insects (especially pollinating bees).
  6. Are you scared of insects?
    • Unlike some other insects & arthropods. cicadas are not poisonous or venomous.
    • Try a hat, an umbrella, a bee-keepers outfit, a suit of armor…
  7. They’re coming, and they’re going to ruin my wedding!

Questions about the Brood Chart

Question: Why do I have cicadas in my neighborhood, but your chart indicates that I shouldn’t?

Answer: Some possibilities: 1) they are stragglers, periodical cicadas that emerge too soon or late, 2) they are not periodical cicadas, but are a different North American species, 3) you live on a continent other than North America, in which case, try one of these pages, or 4) SURPRISE! The U.S. is a big place and some cicada populations have yet to be documented.

Question: Why don’t I have periodical cicadas in my area, but the information on your website indicates that I should?

Answer: Two possibilities: 1) they went extinct or otherwise died off in your area, or 2) they aren’t everywhere in a state – normally there are large gaps in their range.

Question: What are stragglers?

Answer: Stragglers can emerge 1 or 4 years early or 1 or 4 years late. Don’t be surprised if you see some periodical cicadas emerge earlier than planned this year. 17-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years early, and 13-year brood members are most likely to straggle 4 years late. Straggler probability chart.

Question: Why are there no Brood XI, XII, XV, XVI… ?

Answer: Perhaps you’ve noticed there are no Broods XI (11), XII (12), XV (15), XVI (16), XVII (17), XVIII (18), XX (20), XXI (21), XXIV (24), etc. Don’t worry about that. They never existed or are extinct (XI, XXI).

Example Emergence Timeline

This is an example of a typical cicada emergence. The exact dates will depend on the weather and density of the emergence in your location. Hot weather means an early start and quicker finish to the season — cool weather means a later start, and a protracted season.

Example Emergence Timeline

Here’s an Excel version of the chart. Feel free to use it and adjust it to match your experience.

Or watch the video version:

More Magicicada websites:

  1. For much more information about 17-year cicadas visit Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org). The maps on this page link to that site.
  2. The Cicada Safari App is available for Android and Apple devices . Use it to see where people are finding cicadas, and to report your sightings.
  3. A Tale of Two Broods: The 2024 Emergence of Periodical Cicada Broods XIII and XIX book by Dr. Gene Kritsky.
  4. Check the Cicada Central Magicicada Database to see the counties where cicadas have appeared in the past. For more information about this database and cicada research in general, visit the Simon Lab website.

More Magicicada Information

April 18, 2020

Brood XIII (13) cicadas (“locusts”) will emerge in 2024 in Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin and Indiana

Filed under: Brood XIII | Magicicada | Periodical — Dan @ 1:02 am

Special note: Brood XIX (19) will also emerge in 2024. While the two broods do not overlap, they come closest in the Springfield, Illinois area.

Periodical cicada Brood XIII (13) will emerge in the spring of 2024 in Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and possibly Michigan. The last time this brood emerged was in 2007.

What, when, where, and why:

What:

Millions of these:
Adult, Nymph, Molting Cicada

Videos from 2009:

When: Typically beginning in mid-May and ending in late June. These cicadas will begin to emerge approximately when the soil 8 inches 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.

  • Illinois places: Belvidere, Brookfield, Channahon, Chicago, Des Plaines River Trail, Downers Grove, Egermann Woods County Forest Preserve, Elmhurst, Flossmoor, Geneva, Glen Ellyn, Highland Park, Hinsdale, Homewood, La Grange, Lagrange Woods, Lake Forest, Lansing, Lincolnshire, Lisle, Lombard, MacArthur Woods Forest Preserve, Marseilles, McHenry, McKinley Woods, Morton Arboretum, Naperville, Northbrook, Ogden, Ottawa, Palos Heights, River Forest, River Grove, Romeoville, Ryerson Woods, Schiller Park, Thornton, Vernon Hills, Villa Park, Weaton, Western Springs, Westmont, Wonder Lake, and more.
  • Illinois counties: Bureau, Carroll, Cass, Cook, DuPage, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Jo Daviess, Kankakee, Lake, LaSalle, Livingston, Logan, Marshall, Mason, McHenry, McLean, Menard, Peoria, Putnam, Sangamon, Stark, Tazewell, Whiteside, Will, Winnebago, Woodford.
  • Iowa places: Atalissa, Solon, and more.
  • Iowa counties: Benton, Black Hawk, Bremer, Cedar, Dubuque, Henry, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, Louisa, Muscatine, Scott, Tama.
  • Wisconsin locations: Aurora University, Big Foot Beach State Park, Lake Geneva, Moraine Nature Preserve, and more.
  • Wisconsin counties: Crawford, Grant, Green. Rock, Walworth.
  • Indiana locations: Crown Point, Portage, Purdue-North Central, Valparaiso, and more.
  • Indiana counties: LaPorte, Porter, Lake.
  • Michigan: According to Cicadas @ UCONN (formerly Magicicada.org), Magicicada have been found along the border of Michigan and Indiana.

More Location Tips:

Local Events

Lake County Forest Preserve in Illinois: 1) A cicada exhibit opening at the Dunn Museum in Libertyville, IL on April 27th. 2) Cicadas of Lake County on 5/2. 3) Celebrating Cicadas on 5/16. 4) On Sunday, June 9th, they plan to hold CicadaFest at Ryerson Woods. Insects, and of course, cicadas will be featured.

Why: Why do they stay underground for 17-years? The prevailing research suggests they have evolved a long lifecycle allowing them to avoid predators that would sync up with their lifecycle & emergence. Why are there so many?! Research suggests that their huge numbers allow them to overwhelm predators, so enough of them will live on to breed and perpetuate the brood.

More facts and fun:

1907 Map from Marlatt, C.L.. 1907. The periodical cicada. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Bureau of Entomology.

See a modern map, or the Live Map from the Cicada Safari app.
Marlatt 1907 13 Brood XIII

What was the emergence in 2007 like?

April 15, 2020

Common Cicadas of North America

Filed under: Canada | North America (Continent) | United States — Dan @ 6:34 pm

This is a list of the most well-known cicadas in North America.

See one of these cicadas in 2023?
Join this 2023 North American Annual Cicada Location Project on iNaturalist and report it.

Annual Cicada Species

These cicadas appear ever year.

Cacama valvata (Uhler, 1888)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - valvata - Adam Fleishman
©Adam Fleishman.

  • Short Name: C. valvata
  • Common Name: Common Cactus Dodger
  • Locations: AZ, CA, CO, KS, NV, NM, OK, TX, UT
  • When: May-June, peaking in June.
  • Eyes: beige and black mix
  • Collar: black with gold highlights
  • Description: Black with gold highlights and white pruinose.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Cicadettana calliope calliope (Walker, 1850)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - calliope - Paul Krombholz
©Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: C. calliope calliope
  • Common Name: Southern Grass Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, CO, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NE, NC, OH, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, VA
  • When: May-August, peaking in July.
  • Eyes: pink, beige, green
  • Collar: rust, brown
  • Description: Small. Black and brown.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Diceroprocta apache (Davis, 1921)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - apache - Adam Fleishman
© Adam Fleishman


Diceroprocta olympusa (Walker, 1850)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - olympusa - Joe Green
© Joe Green.

  • Short Name: D. olympusa
  • Common Name: Olympic Scrub Cicada
  • Locations: AL, FL, GA, MS, NC, SC
  • When: June-August. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: brown?
  • Collar: green
  • Description: Black, brown and green with white pruinose.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Diceroprocta vitripennis (Say, 1830)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - vitripennis - Paul Krombholz
© Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: D. vitripennis
  • Common Name: Green Winged Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, NE, OK, TN, TX, WI
  • When: June-August. Peaks in July.
  • Eyes: green
  • Collar: green
  • Description: Black with green and brown and white pruinose.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen auletes (Germar, 1834)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Auletes - Dan

  • Short Name: M. auletes
  • Common Name: Northern Dusk Singing Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI
  • When: June-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: gray / beige
  • Collar: olive or rusty brown
  • Description: The largest North American cicada. Olive green to rusty brown with black, tan, and white coloring. Heavy white pruinose. M on mesonotum is typically partially occluded by pruinose. Sings at dusk.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen dealbatus (Davis, 1915)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - dealbatus - Bill Reynolds collection

  • Short Name: M. dealbatus
  • Common Name: Plains Cicada
  • Locations: CO, IA, KS, MT, NE, NM, ND, OK, SD, TX, WY
  • When: June-October. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: beige
  • Collar: light orange or olive
  • Description: Primarily either orange/rust or pea green, brown, or black with heavy pruninosity which forms distinct markings on the dorsal side of the body. The dorsal side has two black stripes framed by three areas of pruinosity. Sounds like N. pronotalis.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - dorsatus - Bill Lesar
© Bill Lesar

  • Short Name: M. dorsatus
  • Common Name: Bush Cicada or Grand Western or Giant Grassland Cicada
  • Locations: AR, CO, ID, IL, IA, KS, MO, MT, NE, NM, OK, SD, TX, WY
  • When: July-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: beige to brown
  • Collar: light orange
  • Description: Rust/orange, black & white pruinosity, which forms distinct markings, such as a line of white dots down the dorsal side of the abdomen. Sounds like N. tremulus. Has a call that sounds like a rapid series of clicks.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen figuratus (Walker, 1858)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - figuratus - Paul Krombholz
© Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: M. figuratus
  • Common Name: Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA
  • When: August-October. Peaks in September.
  • Eyes: brown
  • Collar: brown
  • Description: Black and browns. White pruinosis.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri Metcalf, 1955

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Walkers - Roy Troutman
© Roy Troutman

  • Short Name: M. pronotalis walkeri
  • Common Name: Walker’s Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, ND, OH, OK, SD, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI, WY
  • When: July-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: gray
  • Collar: green or brown
  • Description: Tan or pea green, brown, black, and sometimes white pruinose. Wing color matches the dominant color of the body. Typically lacks a black marking on its pronotum.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen resh (Haldeman, 1852)

©Insect Singers.
Thumbs - Resh - Bill Reynolds collection

  • Short Name: M. resh
  • Common Name: Resh Cicada
  • Locations: AR, KS, LA, MS, NE, OK, SC, TN, TX
  • When: May-October. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: varies
  • Collar: olive
  • Description: Black, green and brown camo pattern. White pruinosis. Resh Hebrew character pattern on mesonotum.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Megatibicen resonans (Walker, 1850)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - resonans - Joe Green
© Joe Green

  • Short Name: M. resonans
  • Common Name: Southern Resonant/Great Pine Barrens Cicada
  • Locations: AL, FL, GA, LA, MS, NC, SC, TN, TX, VA
  • When: May-October. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: brown
  • Collar: brown
  • Description: Brown, black & white pruinosity distinctively present within curves of the cruciform elevation.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neocicada hieroglyphica hieroglyphica (Say, 1830)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - hieroglyphica - Joe Green
© Joe Green

  • Short Name: N. hieroglyphica hieroglyphica
  • Common Name: Hieroglyphic Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, DE, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MD, MS, MO, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, TX, VA
  • When: May-August. Peaks in June.
  • Eyes: varies
  • Collar: varies
  • Description: Black, brown and green patterns.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen canicularis (Harris, 1841)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Dog Day - Paul Krombholz
© Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: N. canicularis
  • Common Name: Dog-day Cicada
  • Locations: AR, CT, DC, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MB, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, NE, NB, NH, NJ, NY, NC, ND, NS, OH, ON, PA, PE, QC, RI, SC, SD, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
  • When: July-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: varies
  • Collar: varies
  • Description: Typical black, brown, beige and green Tibicen camo patterns. The primary color varies from brown to green. The collar is often a mix of green & black. Sounds like an angle grinder tool and like N. auriferus & N. davisi.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen davisi davisi (Smith and Grossbeck, 1907)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - davisi - Paul Krombholz
© Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: N. davisi davisi
  • Common Name: Davis’ Southeastern Dog-Day Cicada
  • Locations: AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, LA, MD, MA, MS, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV
  • When: August-December. Peaks in September.
  • Eyes: varies
  • Collar: brown or green
  • Description: The davisi comes in a wide variety of colors: from rusty browns to greens. A crown-like pattern on the mesonotum. Sounds like an angle grinder tool, & sounds like N. auriferus & N. canicularis.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen latifasciatus (Davis, 1915)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Latifasciatus - Bill Reynolds collection

  • Short Name: N. latifasciatus
  • Common Name: Coastal Scissor(s) Grinder Cicada
  • Locations: FL, MD, NJ, NC, VA
  • When: August-October. Peaks in September.
  • Eyes: brown
  • Collar: brown or green
  • Description: If the cicada has a white X on its back, it is a latifasciatus. Repetitive, rhythmic, call like someone repeatedly running a scissor over a grinding wheel.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen linnei (Smith and Grossbeck, 1907)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Linnei - Tom Lehmkuhl
© Tom Lehmkuhl

  • Short Name: N. linnei
  • Common Name: Linne’s Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, ON, PA, SC, TN, VT, VA, WV, WI
  • When: July-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: dark brown
  • Collar: green
  • Description: Black, green and some brown camo pattern. Prominent M. Bend in its wing. Sounds like N. tibicen.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen lyricen engelhardti (Davis, 1910)

Thumb - Dark Lyric - Roy Troutman
© Roy Troutman

  • Short Name: N. lyricen engelhardti
  • Common Name: Dark Lyric Cicada
  • Locations: AL, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IN, IL, KY, MD, MA, MS, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WV
  • When: July-September. Peaks in July.
  • Eyes: black
  • Collar: black
  • Description: The Dark Lyric Cicadas have the darkest coloration of all the Lyric cicadas. Their mesonotum is almost entirely dark brown/black. They have a “soda-pop pull-tab” or keyhole shape on their pronotum.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen lyricen lyricen (De Geer, 1773)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Lyric - Dan

  • Short Name: N. lyricen lyricen
  • Common Name: Lyric Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, ON, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VA, WV, WI
  • When: June-August. Peaks in July.
  • Eyes: brown
  • Collar: black
  • Description: The Lyric cicada, like most small Neotibicen, has a green, black & brown camouflage look, but the key is Lyric cicadas typically have black collars. Its sound is like an angle grinder tool steadily grinding a slightly uneven surface.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen pruinosus pruinosus (Say, 1825)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Pruinosa - Paul Krombholz
© Paul Krombholz

  • Short Name: N. pruinosus pruinosus
  • Common Name: Scissor(s) Grinder
  • Locations: AL, AR, CO, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NC, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, TX, WV, WI
  • When: June-October. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: black
  • Collar: green
  • Description: The Scissor Grinder looks a lot like Linne’s Cicada but its wing doesn’t have the bend that Linne’s Cicada has. The Scissor Grinder also seems to have more of an orange coloration to the ‘arches’ on its mesonotum.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen superbus (Fitch, 1855)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Superb - Sloan Childers
© Sloan Childers

  • Short Name: N. superbus
  • Common Name: Superb Dog-Day Cicada
  • Locations: AR, KS, LA, MO, NM, OK, TX
  • When: June-August. Peaks in July.
  • Eyes: black
  • Collar: green
  • Description: Green with black mask and yellow arches on back.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen tibicen tibicen (Linnaeus, 1758)


Thumb - Chloromera - Dan

  • Short Name: N. tibicen tibicen
  • Common Name: Swamp Cicada, Morning Cicada
  • Locations: AL, AR, CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MD, MA, MI, MS, MO, NE, NJ, NY, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WV, WI
  • When: June-September. Peaks in August.
  • Eyes: black or dark green
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Swamp Cicadas are are known for their rounded, humped back. Their coloration varies from mostly black & some green to black, brown, and green. Their collar is usually black but can include green.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Neotibicen winnemanna (Davis, 1912)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - winnemanna - Dan

  • Short Name: N. winnemanna
  • Common Name: Eastern Scissor(s) Grinder
  • Locations: DE, DC, GA, MD, NC, NJ, PA, SC, VA
  • When: June-September. Peak in September.
  • Eyes: dark green
  • Collar: green
  • Description: Like the Scissor Grinder, the Eastern Scissor Grinder seems to have more of an orange hue to the arches on its mesonotum, perhaps even more so than the Scissor Grinder.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Okanagana bella Davis, 1919

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Bella - Matt Berger
© Matt Berger

  • Short Name: O. bella
  • Common Name: Mountain Cicada
  • Locations: AB, AZ, BC, CA, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, OR, SD, UT, WA, WY
  • When: June-July. Peaks in June.
  • Eyes: black
  • Collar: orange
  • Description: Black with orange highlights.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Okanagana canadensis (Provancher, 1889)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - canadensis - Les Daniels
© Les Daniels

  • Short Name: O. canadensis
  • Common Name: Canadian Cicada
  • Locations: AB, BC, CA, CO, ID, ME, MB, MI, MN, MT, NB, NH, NY, NT, OH, ON, OR, PA, QC, SK, SD, UT, VT, WI
  • When: June-July. Peaks in June.
  • Eyes: dark gray
  • Collar: black and beige
  • Description: Black with beige highlights.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Okanagana rimosa rimosa (Say, 1830)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Rimosa - Natasha
© Natasha

  • Short Name: O. rimosa rimosa
  • Common Name: Say’s Cicada
  • Locations: AB, BC, CA, CT, ID, IL, IN, IA, ME, MB, MD, MA, MI, MN, MT, NV, NB, NH, NJ, NY, ND, OH, ON, OR, PA, QC, SD, UT, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
  • When: May-July. Peaks in June.
  • Eyes: n/a
  • Collar: n/a
  • Description: n/a
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Pacarina puella Davis, 1923

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Puella - John Beard
© John Beard


Quesada gigas (Olivier, 1790)

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - Gigas - Leonardo Milhomem
© Leonardo Milhomem

  • Short Name: Q. gigas
  • Common Name: Giant Cicada
  • Locations: TX
  • When: Always out somewhere in the Americas. Peaks in July.
  • Eyes: brown
  • Collar: brown to green
  • Description: The second largest North American cicada. Black, green, and brown camo patterns.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Periodical Cicadas

These cicadas have 17 or 13-year life cycles. Visit the Periodical Cicada Information Page for when and where.

Magicicada cassinii (Fisher, 1852)


Thumb - cassini - Dan

  • Short Name: M. cassini
  • Common Name: Cassini Periodical Cicada or 17-Year Cicada
  • Locations: GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MD, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI, WV
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 17 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada neotredecim Marshall and Cooley, 2000

©Insect Singers.
Thumb - neotredecim - Dan

  • Short Name: M. neotredecim
  • Common Name: 13 Periodical Cicada or 13-Year Cicada or John and David’s Cicada
  • Locations: AR, IA, IL, IN, KY, MO, TN
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 13 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs. Orange stripes on the abdomen. Orange between eye and wing.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada septendecim (Linnaeus, 1758)


Thumb - Septendecim - Dan

  • Short Name: M. septendecim
  • Common Name: Decim Periodical Cicada or Linnaeus’s 17-Year Cicada or 17-Year Cicada
  • Locations: CT, DC, DE, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MA, MD, MI, MO, NC, NE, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, WI, WV
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 17 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs. Orange stripes on the abdomen. Orange between eye and wing.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada septendecula Alexander and Moore, 1962

© Joe Green.
Thumb - septendecula - Dan

  • Short Name: M. septendecula
  • Common Name: Decula Periodical Cicdada or 17-Year Cicada
  • Locations: GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, MO, NC, NJ, NY, OH, OK, PA, TN, VA, WV
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 17 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs. Orange stripes on the abdomen.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada tredecassini Alexander and Moore, 1962


Thumb - tredecassini

  • Short Name: M. tredecassini
  • Common Name: 13-Year Cicada or 13-Year Cassini
  • Locations: AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 13 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada tredecim (Walsh and Riley, 1868)

©Insect Singers
Thumb - tredecim - Dan

  • Short Name: M. tredecim
  • Common Name: 13-Year Cicada or 13-Year Decim
  • Locations: AL, AR, GA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MD, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 13 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs. Orange stripes on the abdomen. Orange between eye and wing.
  • More info, photos, sounds, video and references


Magicicada tredecula Alexander and Moore, 1962


Thumb - tredecula - Dan

  • Short Name: M. tredecula
  • Common Name: 13-Year Cicada or 13-Year Decula
  • Locations: AL, AR, GA, IA, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, NC, OH, OK, SC, TN, VA
  • When: May-June. Peaks in June. Every 13 years.
  • Eyes: reddish orange
  • Collar: black
  • Description: Black body with orange wings and legs. Orange stripes on the abdomen.
  • >More info, photos, sounds, video and references



Related Resources

Most sound files are Copyright of Insect Singers.

Maps: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico [PDF]

Didn’t find what you’re looking for? Try these websites about the cicadas of North America, or these blog posts about United States and Canada.

Click the images for larger versions, the species name, and the name of the photographer.

April 13, 2020

Neotibicen auriferus (Say, 1825) aka Plains Dog-day Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Neotibicen | Thomas Say | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 5:45 pm

Neotibicen auriferus (Say, 1825)

Song type: Call


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: N. auriferus

Name, Location and Description

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Neotibicen
Species: Neotibicen auriferus (Say, 1825)

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: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  4. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

Notes:

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

April 4, 2020

Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada

Filed under: Cryptotympanini | Megatibicen | Thomas Say | United States — Tags: — Dan @ 8:57 am

Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825) aka Giant Grassland Cicada aka Bush Cicada.

Neotibicen dorsatus from Bill Reynolds collection
Fully sclerotized M. dorsatus from Bill Reynolds’ collection.

M. dorsatus; teneral; copyright Greg Holmes
Teneral M. dorsatus by Greg Holmes.

See all Megatibicen dorsatus images & information on cicadamania.com.

Song type: Call


Source: ©Insect Singers | Species: M. dorsatus

Video Playlist

Playlists contain multiple videos found on YouTube.

Name, Location and Description

Habitat notes from ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS by Wm T. Davis 1

Dr. Raymond H. Beamer, in an account of his collecting trip in Kansas in 1916, writes that dorsata was the most widely spread and abundant species taken. It was commonly found on low shrubs or weeds and grass, often on barren hill tops.

Classification:

Family: Cicadidae
Subfamily: Cicadinae
Tribe: Cryptotympanini
Subtribe: Cryptotympanina
Genus: Megatibicen
Species: Megatibicen dorsatus (Say, 1825)

List of sources

  1. Davis, W.T. 1921. ANNOTATED LIST OF COLORADO CICADAS. Journal of the New York Entomological Society, Vol. XXIX, No. I.
  2. Full Binomial Names: ITIS.gov
  3. Common names: BugGuide.net; The Songs of Insects by Lang Elliott and Wil Herschberger; personal memory.
  4. Locations: Biogeography of the Cicadas (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) of North America, North of Mexico by Allen F. Sanborn and Polly K. Phillips.
  5. Descriptions, Colors: personal observations from specimens or photos from many sources. Descriptions are not perfect, but may be helpful.

Notes:

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

April 1, 2020

Cicada Songs, Audio, Sounds, NoIsE

Filed under: Sounds — Dan @ 6:37 pm

Cicada Sounds Banner

Periodical cicada song samples:

M. cassini Call. M. tredecassini sounds similar. Recorded in USA by Joe Green.

M. septendecim Call. M. neotredecim sounds similar. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood II (2013) by Dan Mozgai.

M. septendecula Call. M. tredecula sounds similar. Recorded in USA by Joe Green.

M. tredecassini Call. M. cassini sounds similar. Recorded in Illinois, Brood XXIII (2015) by Dan Mozgai.

M. tredecula Call. M. septendecula sounds similar. Recorded in Ohio, Brood XXII (2013) by Roy Troutman.

Magicicada Chorus. Recorded in New Jersey, Brood X (2004) by Dan Mozgai.

Select North American Annual Cicada Species

D. olympusa Chorus. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

D. viridifascia Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

M. resonans Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

N. hieroglyphica hieroglyphica Call. Recorded in Florida by Joe Green.

N. tibicen tibicen Call. Recorded in New Jersey by Dan Mozgai.

Cicada pages that feature cicada calls (50+):

Cicada Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Beameria venosa aka Aridland Cicada May Jun Jul Aug
Beameria wheeleri May Jun Jul
Cacama valvata aka Common Cactus Dodger May Jun
Cicadettana calliope calliope aka Southern Grass Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Cicadettana camerona May Jun
Cicadettana kansa May Jun
Cicadettana texana May Jun
Clidophleps vagans Jun
Cornuplura nigroalbata
Cornuplura rudis May Jun Jul
Diceroprocta apache aka Citrus Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Diceroprocta arizona
Diceroprocta aurantiaca Jun
Diceroprocta averyi
Diceroprocta azteca aka Scrub Cicada Jul Aug
Diceroprocta bequaerti
Diceroprocta biconica
Diceroprocta bicosta
Diceroprocta crucifera
Diceroprocta eugraphica Jun Jul
Diceroprocta knighti Jun Jul
Diceroprocta marevagans Jul Aug Sep
Diceroprocta olympusa aka Olympic Scrub Cicada Jun Jul
Diceroprocta ornea
Diceroprocta psophis
Diceroprocta ruatana
Diceroprocta semicincta Jun Jul
Diceroprocta swalei swalei Jun
Diceroprocta texana Jun Jul Aug
Diceroprocta vitripennis aka Green Winged Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa bifida May Jun Jul
Hadoa chiricahua May Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa duryi May Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa inaudita Jun Jul Aug
Hadoa longiopercula
Hadoa parallela Jul Aug Sep
Hadoa simplex May Jun
Hadoa texana Jun Jul Aug Sep
Hadoa townsendii May Jun
Magicicada cassinii aka Cassini 17-Year Cicada May Jun
Magicicada neotredecim May Jun
Magicicada septendecim aka Linnaeus’s 17-Year Cicada May Jun
Magicicada septendecula May Jun
Magicicada tredecassini May Jun
Magicicada tredecim May Jun
Magicicada tredecula May Jun
Megatibicen auletes aka Northern Dusk Singing Cicada Jul Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen cultriformis aka Grand Western Flood Plain Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen dealbatus aka Plains Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen dorsatus aka Giant Grassland Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen figuratus aka Fall Southeastern Dusk-singing Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen harenosus Aug Sep
Megatibicen pronotalis pronotalis Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen pronotalis walkeri aka Walker’s Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen resh aka Resh Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Megatibicen resonans aka Southern Resonant Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Megatibicen tremulus aka Cole’s Bush Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neocicada chisos Apr May
Neocicada hieroglyphica aka Hieroglyphic Cicada May Jun Jul Aug
Neocicada hieroglyphica johannis May Jun Jul
Neoplatypedia constricta May Jun Jul
Neotibicen auriferus aka Plains Dog-day Cicada Aug Sep
Neotibicen canicularis aka Dog-day Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen davisi aka Davis’ Southeastern Dog-Day Cicada Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen latifasciatus aka Coastal Scissors Grinder Cicada Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen linnei aka Linne’s Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen lyricen engelhardti aka Dark Lyric Cicada Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen lyricen lyricen aka Lyric Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Neotibicen lyricen virescens aka Costal Lyric Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen pruinosus pruinosus aka Scissors Grinder Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen robinsonianus aka Robinson’s Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen similaris apalachicola Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen similaris similaris aka Similar Dog-Day Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
Neotibicen superbus aka Superb Dog-Day Cicada Jun Jul Aug
Neotibicen tibicen australis aka Southern Swamp Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen tibicen tibicen aka Morning Cicada Jun Jul Aug Sep
Neotibicen winnemanna aka Eastern Scissors Grinder Jun Jul Aug
Okanagana balli Jun Jul
Okanagana bella aka Mountain Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana canadensis aka Canadian Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana fumipennis May Jun Jul
Okanagana hesperia Jun Jul
Okanagana rimosa rimosa aka Say’s Cicada May Jun Jul
Okanagana synodica synodica aka Walking Cicada Jun Jul
Okanagana utahensis May Jun Jul
Okanagana vanduzeei Jun Jul
Okanagana viridis aka Cotton Green Cicada Jun Jul
Pacarina puella aka Little Mesquite Cicada May Jun Jul
Platypedia putnami putnami May Jun Jul
Platypedia similis Apr May

Cicada Sound FAQs:

Websites that feature cicadas outside of North America:

Websites that feature North American Cicada Calls:

May 11, 2019

2019 Periodical Cicada Stragglers – Expect Them

Filed under: Periodical Stragglers — Dan @ 9:06 am

Where is everyone?

We expect some periodical cicadas to emerge earlier and later than expected this year:

  • Members of Brood IV, the Kansan Brood, should emerge in IA, KS, MO, NE, OK & TX. Brood IV last emerged 4 years ago.
  • Members of Brood XXIII, the Mississippi Valley Brood, should emerge in AR, IL, IN, KY, LA, MO, MS, & TN. XIX last emerged 4 years ago.
  • Members of Brood X are emerging, so far in the Virginia area, but they have the potential to emerge anywhere in DE, GA, IL, IN, KY, MD, MI, NC, NJ, NY, OH, PA, TN, VA, and WV. 2-year early emergences are rare, but it happens. Brood X is expected to emerge in 2 years.

We’re getting a lot of reports from the Anacostia area of Washington D.C. and Maryland.

Here’s an example of someone Tweeting about a Brood X “straggler” on Twitter.

Use the Cicada Safari App to report them.

Periodical cicadas are cicadas insects that emerge periodically, and not annually. In North America, there are 7 species of periodical cicadas, 3 of which have a 17-year lifecycle, and 4 have a 13-year lifecycle, and all 7 belong to the genus Magicicada. Here is a chart that shows where they are expected to emerge next. Magicicada regularly straggle — some emerge before or after they’re expected to.

Typically 17-year cicada stragglers emerge 4 years early, and 13-year cicada stragglers emerge 4 years late, but 1, 2 and even 8 year deviations are possible — see the probability chart.

At this point, most people question the use of the term “straggler” to define something that emerged early rather than late. If you’re uncomfortable using the term “straggler”, you can use the term “precursor” for cicadas than emerge earlier than expected. You might make up your own slang for them, like “deviant”, “pioneer” or “laggard” too.

September 22, 2018

Cicada Images and Video for Sharing (by the Media, Educators, or anyone else)

Filed under: Cicada Mania — Dan @ 12:05 am

You can use these images if you’re in the media, you’re an educator, or anyone else.

In case you want cicada images and videos to share, we’ve uploaded images to social media sites to make it easy to share the images. These images are often in the Creative Commons (License: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic.
), or otherwise owned by Dan Mozgai, and Dan doesn’t care if you share them for non-commercial reasons (i.e. fun).
Download all images (11.2MB). Videos are on YouTube.

* Other images, videos, and audio on the site are copyrighted by the people who created that media, and I can’t grant use of their work.

Images and video of Magicicada cicadas (like those in Brood XIII)

Image of a male Magicicada septendecim (periodical/17-year species)

Male Magicicada septendecim face 2 800

This image is also on Flickr.

Image of a male Magicicada septendecim (periodical/17-year species)

Magicicada septendecim Cicada face

This image is also on Flickr.

Image of Magicicada septendecim (periodical/17-year species)

License: © All Righted Reserved. People can share for non-commercial fun. Commercial enterprises (like the Media) need to ask permission to use mailto:cicadamania@gmail.com.

Adult Magicicada septendecim on a leaf

This image is also on Flickr.

There are more images from the series which I have been allowing the media/press to use with permission and attribution.

There’s an abundance of videos on our YouTube channel, for example:

How To Identify the Species of a Periodical Cicada / “Locust” / Magicicada

License: © All Righted Reserved. People can share for non-commercial fun. Commercial enterprises (like the Media) need to ask permission to use mailto:cicadamania@gmail.com.

17 Facts About 17 Year Cicadas

License: © All Righted Reserved. People can share for non-commercial fun. Commercial enterprises (like the Media) need to ask permission to use mailto:cicadamania@gmail.com.

Images and video of Neotibicen (summertime cicadas in the U.S.):

Do not use these to represent Brood XIII / Magicicada / Periodical Cicadas.

Image of a molting male Neotibicen tibicen (annual summertime species)

Male Neotibicen tibicen tibicen molting

This image is also on Flickr.

Image of a female Neotibicen tibicen (top) and female Neotibicen lyricen (bottom) (annual summertime types)

Neotibicen tibicen (top) and female Neotibicen lyricen (bottom)

This image is also on Flickr.

Video of a Neotibicen tibicen (annual summer species molting):

License: © All Righted Reserved. People can share for non-commercial fun. Commercial enterprises (like the Media) need to ask permission to use mailto:cicadamania@gmail.com.

Social Media

And like everyone else, we upload content to Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Feel free to share that stuff as well. Knock your socks off.

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