Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

U.S. Hyper-sexual "zombie cicadas" that are infected with sexually transmitted fungus expected to emerge this year
cbs ^ | 4-5-24 | Caitlin O'Kane

Posted on 04/05/2024 6:47:52 PM PDT by dynachrome

Trillions of cicadas will emerge across several U.S. states this spring in an event one expert dubbed "cicada-geddon." Not only are more cicadas than usual expected this year, but some of them will be "zombie cicadas" that are infected by a sexually transmitted fungus that makes them hyper-sexual.

Periodical cicadas spend most of their lives underground and only emerge after 13 or 17 years. This year, two broods of cicadas will emerge: Brood XIX, which comes out every 13 years, will emerge in the Georgia and Southeast, and Brood XIII, which emerges every 17 years, will appear in Illinois.

With this convergence, the bugs will arrive in numbers that have not been seen in generations.

Matthew Kasson, an associate professor of Mycology and Forest Pathology at West Virginia University, says both of these broods can be infected by a fungal pathogen called Massospora cicadina.

Once the cicadas emerge from the ground, they molt into adults, and within a week to 10 days, the fungus causes the backside of their abdomens open up. A chalky, white plug erupts out, taking over their bodies and making their genitals fall off.

(Excerpt) Read more at cbsnews.com ...


TOPICS: Chit/Chat; Humor; Outdoors; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: bugs; cicadas; hidenow; insects; zombies
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Run away!
1 posted on 04/05/2024 6:47:52 PM PDT by dynachrome
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

“Kasson urges people not to eat the cicadas or kill them, but to take photos if they see the fugus on the bugs and share them with online science communities, like iNaturalist, to help researchers. “

I’ll get right on it.


2 posted on 04/05/2024 6:49:37 PM PDT by dynachrome ("God grant I don't outlive my wits.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Wow. I need to quit having sex with Zombies AND Cicadas.


3 posted on 04/05/2024 6:50:02 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (A truth that’s told with bad intent, Beats all the lies you can invent ~ Wm. Blake)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Sure hope Fauci/Pfizer don’t get any ideas.


4 posted on 04/05/2024 6:51:24 PM PDT by ryderann
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Don’t eat the cicadas? But, but....

We are told to eat the bugs.


5 posted on 04/05/2024 6:52:04 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd (A truth that’s told with bad intent, Beats all the lies you can invent ~ Wm. Blake)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

“Zombie Cicadas” would be a good name for a rock band.


6 posted on 04/05/2024 6:52:44 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (DEI = Didn't Earn It!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

“the fungus causes the backside of their abdomens open up. A chalky, white plug erupts out, taking over their bodies and making their genitals fall off.”

That’s bad, right?


7 posted on 04/05/2024 6:53:32 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (DEI = Didn't Earn It!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome; All

Yeah, the Apoc-eclipse on the 8th, the “Red Heifers” @ Passover, and now bugs! Oh my!!


8 posted on 04/05/2024 6:54:58 PM PDT by Drago
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Sounds like the spring break of the insect world.


9 posted on 04/05/2024 6:55:19 PM PDT by SpaceBar
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Global, climate, warming crisis, of course.


10 posted on 04/05/2024 6:55:38 PM PDT by moovova ("The NEXT election is the most important election of our lifetimes!“ LOL...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

We must lockdown until they are gone.


11 posted on 04/05/2024 6:56:53 PM PDT by ChildOfThe60s ("If you can remember the 60s....you weren't really there")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

https://www.npr.org/2021/05/29/1001603740/whats-the-best-way-to-eat-cicadas-a-chefs-insect-based-recipes

DESHAYES: You know, I don’t eat insect. It’s not something that I eat every day. So two weeks ago, I start to harvest them. And I say, OK, what you will be the good safety to eat them? So I blanched them on the boiling water for five minutes. And after that, I laid them on the sheet pan. And I roast them for 2 1/2 to three hours at 200 degrees.

MARTIN: Oh.

DESHAYES: So what I end up having is a very dry cicada. They look like a little snack.

MARTIN: Yeah.

DESHAYES: And with that, I made a powder, crushed them. And for one of the recipes that I did a couple days ago, I crust a flank steak for barbecue.


12 posted on 04/05/2024 6:57:09 PM PDT by PeterPrinciple (Thinking Caps are no longer being issued but there must be a warehouse full of them somewhere.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: moovova

Will my chickens turn white after eating them?


13 posted on 04/05/2024 6:57:47 PM PDT by oldasrocks
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Uncle Miltie

Yeah, especially if they have a hit every 13 or 17 years. ;)


14 posted on 04/05/2024 7:02:06 PM PDT by FamiliarFace (I got my own way of livin' But everything gets done With a southern accent Where I come from. TPetty)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Trans cicadas!


15 posted on 04/05/2024 7:02:17 PM PDT by Ikeon (I get up nice every morning and then, I run into stupid persons one after another until I give up. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome
They try to make this emergence of both types to be some sort of apocalypse. Fact is their territories don't converge, so it will be the normal 17 year thing if you're in their area.

Still annoying, though.

16 posted on 04/05/2024 7:07:02 PM PDT by TangoLimaSierra (⭐⭐To the Left, The Truth is Right Wing Violence⭐⭐)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

“A chalky, white plug erupts out, taking over their bodies and making their genitals fall off.”

I’m hoping they can’t transmit this to humans!


17 posted on 04/05/2024 7:08:15 PM PDT by mkmensinger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

Maybe ‘der Führer und Reichskanzler’ K(louse) Squab might like to try said cicadas, just to show us how the self styled ‘elites’ will like us plebs. I am not holding my breath for such an event.

FJT
FKS
FWEF


18 posted on 04/05/2024 7:08:47 PM PDT by A Formerly Proud Canadian ( Ceterum autem censeo Justinius True-dope-us esse delendam. sic semper tyrannis.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dynachrome

OH PHPUCH! that’s what the future of cicadakind is depending on.


19 posted on 04/05/2024 7:11:05 PM PDT by Qwapisking ("IF the Second goes first the First goes second" L.Star )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Responsibility2nd

Eating Cicadas can make you vibrate with extreme intensity.


20 posted on 04/05/2024 7:13:28 PM PDT by Racketeer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-47 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson