Cicada Mania

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

July 7, 2021

Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 3

Filed under: Brood X | Jim Occi | Magicicada | Periodical — Tags: — Dan @ 4:16 am

Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi taken in Princeton, set 3. 2021.

Magicicada septendecim on finger:
Perched on finger

Teneral, newly molted Magicicada:
Teneral Magicicada

Magicicada septendecim perched on a plant stalk:
Magicicada on plant Jim Occi

A mass of Magicicada skins:
A mass of exuvia by Jim Occi

Magicicada septendecim on a leaf:
Magicicada on leaf

More from Jim:

July 3, 2021

Brood X Magicicada Photos from Princeton

Filed under: Brood X | Magicicada | Periodical — Tags: , , — Dan @ 7:07 am

These are a set of Brood X Magicicada photos from Princeton, nearby a Burger King, an area with a large population of Magicicada septendecula. Taken in 2021 by Dan Mozgai.

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

Magicicada septendecim with a black wing margin:
Magicicada septendecim with a black wing margin

Magicicada septendecim with a black wing margin:
Magicicada septendecim with a black wing margin

A pair of Magicicada septedecim:
A pair of Magicicada

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada septendecim

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada septendecim

Brood X Magicicada photos by Jim Occi, set 2

Filed under: Brood X | Jim Occi | Magicicada — Tags: — Dan @ 6:25 am

Here’s the second set of Brood X Magicicada septendecim photos by Jim Occi. The photos were taken in New Jersey in 2021.

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada photo by Jim Occi

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada septendecim: by Jim Occi

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada septendecim: by Jim Occi

Magicicada septendecim:
Magicicada septendecim: by Jim Occi

More photos by Jim:

June 9, 2021

Brood X 2021 Princeton, New Jersey

Filed under: Brood X | Eye Color | Magicicada — Tags: — Dan @ 9:37 pm

The Princeton Battlefield (historical location of one of George Washington’s battles) has always been a great place to find Brood X periodical cicadas.

Here are a few photos I took last weekend:

A female Magicicada septendecim with white eyes & costal wing margin mating:
Magicicada with white eyes mating

A female Magicicada septendecim with white eyes & costal wing margin:
Magicicada septendecim female with white eyes

Magicicada with beige eyes:
Magicicada with beige eyes

Many, many exit holes:
Loads of holes

Triple exit holes in mud (kinda looks like a skull):
Triple exit holes in mud

Egg nests carved into branches by the cicadas ovipositor:
Egg nests

May 30, 2021

Rainy day Magicicada behavior

Filed under: Behavior | Brood X | Magicicada — Tags: — Dan @ 8:09 pm

Brood X has emerged in Princeton, New Jersey, but the weather is currently not great for cicadas: less than 50°F and rainy. Undaunted, I visited Princeton yesterday to observe Magicicada cicada behavior on a cold, rainy day.

I arrived at Princeton Battleground State Park around 3:30 PM and immediately head to the short trees and tall weeds, like honeysuckle, that line the perimeter of the park. I was pleased to see hundreds of cicadas clinging to the leaves, stems, and branches of the plants — seemingly without extra effort or discomfort. Many were weighted down by droplets of rain, which seemed to roll off their bodies and bead on their wings like translucent pearls.

Even though temperatures were below 50°F (9°C) I did hear an occasional distress call, and saw plenty of cicadas mating — perhaps they started mating before the rain and cold weather began. No flying. No calls, chorusing, or wing flicks.

Other than thousands of seemingly healthy but (patient) cicadas hanging from vegetation, there were plenty of malformed cicadas on the trunks of larger trees, and piles of exuvia and corpses circling tree trunks. The air around trees stank like ammonia and rotting fat and meat — not unlike a dumpster behind a burger restaurant.

I saw mostly Magicicada septendecim and some Magicicada cassini. No apparent Magicicada septendecula. I saw just one M. Septendecim infected with Massospora cicadina fungus. While there was plenty of avian activity in the area, I did not see any birds or other creatures feast on the docile or dead cicada — maybe I scared them away — maybe their appetites were satiated.

Cicadas dripping with rain:
Cicadas dripping with rain

Cicadas mating:
Cicadas Mating

Cicadas mating

M. Septendecim infected with Massospora cicadina fungus:
Massospora

June 1, 2020

Magicicada septendecim from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV

Filed under: Brood IX | Magicicada — Tags: — Dan @ 8:52 am

Magicicada septendecim cicada from Brood IX in Greenbrier County, WV. Photo by Tony Maro. Thanks Tony!

Tony Maro Greenbrier County WV

May 27, 2020

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

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

17 & 13 Year Periodical Cicadas

This page is strictly for Magicicada periodical cicadas, aka 17 & 13-year cicadas, aka "locusts" (read why they’re called locusts).This does not cover annual cicada species in North America and other parts of the world.

The next major emergences are Brood XIII (17-year) and Brood XIX (13-year) in 2024. The last time these broods co-emerged was 1803. See a Magicicada periodical cicada in 2023?? Report it on iNaturalist.

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, KS, 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).


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. 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 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.

March 29, 2020

Dead Specimens – Brood II Magicicada from Middlesex County, New Jersey (2013)

Filed under: Brood II | Magicicada | Massospora | Photos & Illustrations — Tags: , — Dan @ 10:03 am

Photos of dead specimens from the Brood II Magicicada emergence in Middlesex County, NJ, in 2013.

Brood II Magicada collection from 2013:
Brood II Magicada collection from 2013 2

Brood II Magicada collection from 2013:
Brood II Magicada collection from 2013 2

Comparison of Male and Female Magicicada genitalia:
Comparison of Male and Female Magicicada

Magicicada septendecula female abdomen:
Magicicada septendecula female abdomen

Magicicada septendecim hind wing:
Magicicada septendecim hind wing

Male Magicicada septendecim infected with Massospora cicadina fungus:
Male Magicicada septendecim infected with Massospora cicadina fungus

Live Specimens – Brood II Magicicada from Middlesex County, New Jersey (2013)

Filed under: Brood II | Magicicada | Photos & Illustrations — Tags: , — Dan @ 9:54 am

These are photos of live cicada specimens from the 2013 Brood II emergence in Middlesex County, NJ.

Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ:
Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ.

Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ. Abdomen.
Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ. Abdomen

Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ:
Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ

Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ:
Male Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ

Male Magicicada Metuchen NJ:
Male Magicicada Metuchen NJ

Female Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ:
Female Magicicada septendecim Metuchen NJ

Male M. septendecim Metuchen NJ:
Male M_ septendecim Metuchen NJ

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