Latest Cicada News
Still no Cicada Killers at Pine Grove
I decided to head out immediately after work today in my "good clothese" to see what there is to see with my new cool camera. I decided to head on over to Pine Grove Cemetery in Westford to see if the Cicada Killers have emerged yet.
NOTHING! I'm getting pretty bummed out from the lack of Cicada Killers. Maybe the season is still too early here for them. I have been getting reports that they have been out since June in other parts of the country. I wonder if the grounds-keeper here h
Date Posted: 2006-07-05 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
First Cicada Nymph of the Season!
Well, like clockwork, just like last year, I found my first nymph of the season this year. Unfortunately, this year, there was a little mishap. This nymph was about nine feet up on a pine tree out of my reach. But I still wanted it because it hadn't molted yet. I found a nearby branch and tried to coax the nymph onto the branch but unfortunately, instead of going on the branch it ended up falling with a rather disheartening "thump" onto the hard dirt. I picked it up to examine it, and
Date Posted: 2006-07-04 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
More Exuvia Found Today at Fairview
Not much to report here either. After checking out the entire cemetery which took a few hours. I only managed to find one exuvia on a pine tree. I suspect it is T. canicularis due to its size. Unfortunately, I was not able to tell gender because the tip of the abdomen was stuck in heavy pine resin. When I removed the shell, it just crumbled to nothing. Oh, well, enjoy the pictures though!
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Date Posted: 2006-07-03 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
The Cicada Season Has Started!
That's right folks. Here in Massachusetts I have found the first cicada exuvium of the season. In anticipation of this long 4th of July weekend, I decided to kick it off by checking my favorite spot that I have been visiting for the last couple of years. That is St. Patrick Cemetery in Lowell. I got off of work around 5:30 pm and headed on over. It wasn't long till I found this exuvia on one of my favorite areas in the cemetery which seems to produce cicadas every year.
This specimen seems
Date Posted: 2006-06-30 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Brood XIV Periodical Cicadas in 2008
I thought I'd provide some addtional information regarding Brood XIV Magicicadas which are expected to appear in Massachusetts in 2008. After doing some digging I was provided a paper written in 1928 by Charles W. Johnson entitled "The Periodical Cicada in New England". In it Mr. Johnson states that both Barnstable and Plymouth counties in Massachusetts should experience this emergence. However, after talking with a professor at UMASS Amherst, he indicated that their last appearance in
Date Posted: 2006-06-29 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
2006 Cicada Season Started?
Well for some species anyway. I have been doing a lot of reading of papers that have been published. Unfortunately, there is really nothing new regarding Cicadas of New England for the past 50 years or so. I've read papers published as far back as 1923. The most recent paper I read so far was in 1928 so what does that tell you about the existing information out there on Cicadas of New England? The information needs to be updated. Thanks to Tim McNary and his Cicadidae Bibliography list that he h
Date Posted: 2006-06-21 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Final Survey Work of the Season
Man, it really seemed like a short season as far as studying Cicadas go. Tibicen lyricens stopped calling here in Massachusetts around the beginning of September. Tibicen canicularis hasn't been calling for about a week now but it has been unusually cool the last week or so.
Fortunately on September 5th I managed to make it to Connecticut one more time. Below is my account of that day.
Two Male Tibicen lyricens Snagged!
On September 5th I made one final trip to Connecticut to see if I could
Date Posted: 2005-09-05 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Missions
Tibicen linnei Calling Song
My friend Mike Neckermann sent in this short video of some T. linnei calling in Connecticut. It's really amazing how these guys sound like those Spanish Maracas. See if you agree. Click the thumbnail below to launch the 42 second movie. Tibicen linnei can only be found in certain areas in Connecticut as they are not as wide-spread as say Tibicen lyricen or Tibicen canicularis which are the two most common varieties we have here in New England. This video was taken around the Portsmouth Connectic
Date Posted: 2005-08-24 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
More T. tibicen Survey Work
Update 3/21/11: The species name formerly known as Tibicen chloromera has been changed to Tibicen tibicen. The article has been edited to reflect this change.
Today, I drove back to Connecticut from northern Massachusetts to pick up John Cooley and Mike Neckermann to continue our surveys of T. chloromera's Tibicen tibicen's northern most range.
Who is John Cooley?
John Cooley is an Associate Professor in Residence at the University of Connecticut at Storrs who has requested to tag along wi
Date Posted: 2005-08-22 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Missions