Massachusetts Cicadas General News
About Cicada General Info News Category
This sections contains general news articles that don't quite fit into the other news categories. Cicadas General Info contain articles such as reports from contributors, information on first emergences during a cicada season as well as information on areas where the author has revisited. There are lots of images and videos contained within these articles. Feel free to ask questions and post comments in the comments section at the end of each article.
First Cicada Tenerals Found! - Lowell, MA.
10:15 am - With my recent success at finding cicada exuvia at St. Patrick Cemetery I decided to conduct a morning survey of the area. I soon noticed on a giant ash tree a cicada in the middle of molting! It had just removed it's head and was hanging up side down. I've seen this plenty of times in pictures but never in person. The Cicada looked like it was stuck and that it might be dead but that surely wasn't the case.
I looked carefully around the tree and discovered another Cicada newly e
Date Posted: 2004-07-26 Comments: (0)
A Night Visit to St. Patrick Cemetery
10:15 pm - I'm excited about Cicadas. This is my third time out today in hunting for them. Due to my great success in finding two Cicadas on the same tree at St. Patrick cemetery, I decided to try my luck at finding actual nymphs at night.
First I visited the same maple tree that I discovered the first Tibicen exuvium on the 24th. Then, I went to the ash tree that I discovered the two Cicadas on earlier this day. I didn't find anything on these trees.
Then I decided to try the ash tree
Date Posted: 2004-07-26 Comments: (0)
Tibicen lyricens at Grassy Pond
8:30 pm - Grassy Pond Conservation Area is another new area where I have heard T. lyricen calling in the trees. Grassy Pond is a 62 acre patch of land located in Westford, Ma. It contains a centralized grassy pond at its center and is surrounded by a mixture of pine and deciduous trees and is located in a well-established neighborhood.
Heard some faint rustling sounds in the leaf litter this night. I was thinking that it may be a nymph crawling along the ground. It wasn't a nymph but I was abl
Date Posted: 2004-07-25 Comments: (0)
More Cicada Exuvia Found
7:30 pm - This is a new area after many unsuccessful hunts for Cicadas so I decided to change my tactics a bit. I decided a visit to St. Patrick Cemetery in Lowell, MA may be a good idea. Places like cemeteries have very old well-established trees where cicada females may have visited for years on end. While places like cemeteries may be "morbid", the tactic seems to have paid off.
I noticed while I was in my car a giant Red Tailed hawk swooping down low and it landed on a head stone. M
Date Posted: 2004-07-24 Comments: (0)
First Cicada Shell Found Today!
Today I visited Springs Brook Swimming Area in Bedford, Ma. I managed to find my first nymph exuvia of the season here. Judging by its morphological features, it looks like it may be Okanagana rimosa or Okanagana canadensis. This is among one of Bedford's conservation areas. The habitat consists of large old pine tree forests as well as deciduous trees. Bring the mosquito repellant!! This is the only exuvum I have found for this species, since the Okanagana species is "proto-periodical"
Date Posted: 2004-07-12 Comments: (0)
Possible First Emergence Holes Found
While visiting Southwell Field in North Chelmsford, MA.I found signs of many emergence holes today. I am hearing T. canicularis on a daily basis. Southwell Field is a softball field located off of Vinyl Square in North Chelsmford. However, I am still unsuccessful in finding any signs of exuvia. Cicada emergence holes average between 3/8 and 1/2 inch in diameter and they are almost perfectly round. These holes seem to fit that criteria nicely. If you spot a hole with these dimensions, chances ar
Date Posted: 2004-07-11 Comments: (0)