Latest Cicada News
More Magicicada Sightings Reported
Well, it's been a slow start to the emergence. Reports are being received from Kentucky, Tenessee, North Carolina and Ohio indicating that periodical cicadas in all forms including tenerals, nymphs and adults with even a few calling are being reported. Its been unusually cool this spring so this has no-doubt delayed the emergence.
Brood XIV Distribution Map Updated.
The map is a compiled list of sightings that have come in through the Report Brood XIV periodical cicadas form. Hopeful
Date Posted: 2008-05-11 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Immature Magicicada Nymphs Found
Thanks to a very pleasant reader who submitted the below Periodical Cicada immature nymphs in the Dix Hills area on Long Island. These look like M. septendecim nymphs judging by those mud chimneys. Click on the thumbnails below for a bigger picture.
The reader also reports that an over-abundance of birds are located all over the property feasting on the nymphs. It looks like the process known as "predator satiation" has started early.
Only Probable Spe
Date Posted: 2008-05-05 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Brood XIV Magicicadas are Arriving!
Hey folks. Welcome to the start of yet another Cicada season. The only difference is, this will be another year for Periodical Cicadas to emerge. Last year I went to the mid-west and participated in a big distribution mapping project through a grant from National Geographic and the University of Connecticut at Storrs. That Brood was known as Brood XIII. This time however, Massachusetts will be experiencing the Periodical Cicadas known as Brood XIV!
Since Massachusetts is the northernmost range
Date Posted: 2008-04-27 Comments: (1) Category: Cicada General Info
Cicadas Heard on Nantucket!
Update 3/21/11: The species name formerly known as Tibicen chloromera Tibicen tibicen has been changed to Tibicen tibicen. The article has been edited to reflect this change.
Today started out to be a rather great day. Around 10:30 am in the morning many T. lyricen were calling around the Maria Mitchell Museum campus. I even captured the call of one specimen way up high in a tree. While you can’t see the specimen, in this video you can clearly make out the call. Click the thumbnail to the
Date Posted: 2007-08-19 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Missions
Cicadas of Nantucket Island
Due to my great success at surveying the Cicadas on Martha's Vineyard in 2006, I got to wondering if it was at all possible that there may be cicadas on Nantucket Island. Afterall the habitat is probably identical to that on Martha's Vineyard.
In addition, after searching for months for information on the cicadas of Nantucket Island, I was coming up short. I contacted all the professionals that I know of who study cicadas. I searched through countless papers dating back to the 1900's and I
Date Posted: 2007-08-18 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Missions
Cicada Killers Part 2
This is a continuation of yesterday's Cicada Killer Lek Survey with Professor Chuck Holliday from Lafayette University
Cicada Killers at Montague Sand Plains - Montague, Ma.
I met Chuck at around 8:30 in the morning and we headed out west. It took about 1.5 hours to get there. When we arrived, the sun was high in the sky and we saw many cicada killer females at work. There must have been around 100 burrows. Some were active and some were not. These burrows were spread out over a wide area so a
Date Posted: 2007-08-17 Comments: (1) Category: Cicada Projects
Cicada Killers Part 1
Professor Chuck Holliday Pays a Visit.
For the last several years I have been studying a cicada killer lek at a place called "Pine Grove" Cemetery in Westford, MA. Back in 2005, I met 3 fellas that worked for the town's Cemetery Department. That was how I found out about Pine Grove.
Needing to learn more about Cicada Killers, I found Professor Chuck Holliday of Lafayette College in Pennsylvania. Through many back-and-forth emails over several years, I have learned much a
Date Posted: 2007-08-16 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Projects
Cicada Killers Invade Swansea, Ma.
There is an area of Massachusetts that is south of me and about a two hour drive called Swansea, MA. I have had my eye on this area of Massachusetts because it is so close to Rhode Island and there are a lot of ocean inlets and rivers around the town that drain into the ocean. This area seemed ideal for two species of cicadas that are found in other areas of New England, that love areas of water and sandy soil and may just be in this area. Those two species are Tibicen chloromera and T. auletes
Date Posted: 2007-07-29 Comments: (3) Category: Cicada General Info
Back Yard Cicadas Found!
I can't believe my luck. Usually I have to travel to other places in order to find molting cicadas This night was different however. I decided that I would set up some light traps in my yard just to see what kind of insects I could attract. I have three light traps that use three different light sources, UV Black Light, Halogen and Mercury Vapor.
I set my traps up and just decided to wait outside for a bit. I decided that since I found exuvia last year on a pine tree in my yard, I decided t
Date Posted: 2007-07-27 Comments: (2) Category: Cicada General Info