Posted on 05/20/2007 9:59:37 PM PDT by hole_n_one
The Associated Press
It sounds like a bad horror movie. But it’s actually the name of the billions of cicadas expected to emerge this month in parts of the Midwest after spending 17 years underground.
The red-eyed, shrimp-sized, flying insects don’t bite or sting. But they are known for mating calls that produce a din that can overpower ringing telephones, lawn mowers and power tools.
Brood XIII is expected across northern Illinois and in parts of Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and Indiana. Cicadas live only about 30 days as adults, and their main goal is mating.
They don’t harm humans, although they are clumsy and might fly into people. Birds, squirrels and pets, especially dogs, love to eat them, and they are high in protein.
“They’re going to have quite a meal. It’s going to be like Thanksgiving for them,” said Tom Tiddens, supervisor for plant health care at the Chicago Botanic Garden.
They are periodical cicadas, which are only found in the eastern half of North America. The annual, or dog-day cicadas, that appear every summer are common around the world.
The last massive emergence of periodical cicadas was in 2004, when Brood X emerged after 17 years underground in parts of 15 Eastern states. Some broods emerge after 13 years.
A single male’s shrill courtship call can reach 90 decibels, which is equivalent to a kitchen blender.
At the Chicago Botanic Garden, spokeswoman Gloria Ciaccio joked that her advice for brides holding outdoor weddings will be to put the tent flaps down and turn the music up.
A billion bugs flying amok vs. SoCal's fires, floods and earthquakes.
I Love LA!!!
We get cicadas every year. Some years it's the 17-year cicada, some years the 13-year cicada, but they show up in late May, early June every year. And they make a terrible racket. I actually enjoy hearing them every year.
Not sure I blame them.
I wonder if this is affecting the honey bees.
Why so precise? Aren’t they ever off by a year or two?
I’ve never understood this. As I said, we get them every year, but my understanding is that it’s different cicadas from year to year. I’ve always meant to find out more about them but never have.
The article does note that there are also annual cicadas; I wonder if that’s what you get, or if you just have enough different “broods” that you get the periodic cicadas every year.
There's nothing my wife likes to hear better than our dog crunching on a cicada ... LOL
http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/storypage.cfm?storyid=2201
Link to a good story about the 17 year cicada that came out in 2004. Georgia FACES is a great place for information on plants and bugs and stuff.
Yes. We get both the annual and periodic cicadas.
“A single male’s shrill courtship call can reach 90 decibels, which is equivalent to a kitchen blender.”
I hate those danged things. I remember plugging my ears when I was a kid to drown out the sound.
Although...I hate Gypsy Moths more.
I read somewhere that it may have to do with avoiding predators. If they emerged every year, predators would expect them and be ready to feast on them. If they were off by a year or two, it's likely they wouldn't find a mate and would die without reproducing.
I secretly hate those things.
It’s one damned bug or another.
“I secretly hate those things.”
It’s no longer a secret.
http://biology.clc.uc.edu/steincarter/recipes.htm
oooo look........yummy recipes!
Time to invite the inlaws over.
Deep fry the little suckers!
We don’t have much here in Oregon. It’s all mellow here, weather and bug wise anyway.
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.
