Latest Cicada News
Tibicen lyricen in New England
I have been particularly focused on New Hampshire and Maine this cicada season. Between finding new spots for O. rimosa - among other species - I am also focusing on Tibicen lyricen's northern-most range. Depending on who you talk to, some say that this species' ranges up into New Brunswick and even further into Canada. Some even say that it is New England's most common species even over Tibicen canicularis - the Northern Dog Day cicada.
However, even the term "most common" seems to be a point
Date Posted: 2011-07-25 Comments: (10) Category: Cicada General Info
Morphological Features of Okanagana rimosa
A couple of weeks ago I spent the day in Silver Lake New Hampshire as part of my projects to map cicada species in New England. I was very successful in capturing several specimens of Okanagana rimosa here. So I thought we would spend some time focusing on the morphology of this species. In some species of cicadas like the tibicens morphology can vary extremely depending on geographic location and habitat. However, even in O. rimosa there are slight differences in morphology even among individua
Date Posted: 2011-06-28 Comments: (1) Category: Cicada Projects
Silver Lake, NH Yields Okanagana rimosa
It looks like Brood XIX periodical cicadas are finally winding down. I would have to say that all-in-all the reporting was a huge success considering that Massachusetts Cicadas version 2.0 only been live since April with an all-new URL no less. We received many sightings and many reports of Brood XIX periodical cicadas. Thanks to all who contributed distribution data or photos for the sightings section.
However, just because Brood XIX periodical cicadas will soon be gone doesn't mean that that'
Date Posted: 2011-06-26 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
How to Identify Eastern Brood XIX Magicicadas.
Brood XIX periodical cicadas is the largest of all the periodical cicada broods. Occurring every 13 years, it occupies the largest geographic area of the United States. These cicadas (in the genus known as Magicicada) consists of four distinct species each with their own unique male calling song and morphology.
Of the four species, only three are known to occur in the eastern United States. Massachusetts Cicadas conducted distribution survey work in Virginia in order to determine in greater de
Date Posted: 2011-06-19 Comments: (6) Category: Cicada How To
Brood XIX Updates from Virginia - Days 3 and 4.
The last two days have been pretty hectic here in Viriginia. While you were probably enjoying cookouts and parties on Memorial Day, your's truly spent the day in the car with the windows open driving mile after mile listening for the sounds of calling periodical cicadas and mapping their distribution in and around Williamsburg, VA.. I think I must've added at least 75 data points to the distribution map.
Positive and Negative Data
Its not enough to record positive sightings of periodical cicad
Date Posted: 2011-05-31 Comments: (2) Category: Cicada Missions
Mapping Brood XIX in Virginia Progress Report - Day 2
Here in Williamsburg the morning started out very cloudy and I was worried that we were going to get rain. But eventually the sun did shine through and all was fine.
Creating distribution maps can be a long, boring and drawn-out process. It involves driving around and paying attention to what you see and hear in a particular area where periodical cicadas are expected to be found. You then must take careful observational notes about the site. Things like density of cicadas, single male calling
Date Posted: 2011-05-29 Comments: (2) Category: Cicada Missions
Massachusetts Cicadas in Virginia Mapping Brood XIX.
Hey Folks,
I'm here in Williamsburg, Virginia mapping the northern-most range of the Brood
XIX periodical cicadas. I woke up at 4:30 this morning and drove all of 12
hours to get here. Unfortunately, Brood XIX's distribution in Virginia is historically
spotty at best. There are only minor emergence areas and some can be less than
a mile wide. Not only is Brood XIX known to be in Virginia but there is a small
area on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.
My friend and colleague, J
Date Posted: 2011-05-28 Comments: (10) Category: Cicada Missions
Beware Brood XIX Zombie Cicadas!
These Brood XIX periodical cicada will take their stylets and instead of tapping into xylem, they will tap into your skull and suck out your brains!!! Just kidding. Like their red-eyed counter-parts they are just as harmless. But these cicadas with the milky white eyes; (sometimes also blue or grey) are actually quite rare as far as periodical cicadas go.
These cicadas differ greatly from the normal red-eyed - orange wing veined variety by their shockingly light eyes and white costal-margin ve
Date Posted: 2011-05-24 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
How to label your cicada/insect specimens.
With this year's Brood XIX periodical cicada emergence happening in the south, I thought it would be useful to offer some suggestions on the methods that I use to label cicada specimens collected in the field. I would assume that a lot of you out there would probably be doing the same thing. That is, collecting specimens but actually don't know the best way to label or catalogue them. And, actually you could use this article along with the "How to Preserve Your Cicadas - Pinning" article to help
Date Posted: 2011-05-13 Comments: (3) Category: Cicada How To