Brood XIX Dardenne Prairie, MO

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-05-25 | Website:

Hi Bill,

Thank your daughter for us. It sounds like you are just getting under way with the emergence. Your specimens look like M. tredecassini. I can't say for sure without a view of the ventral (underside) to determine species.

Thanks for sharing these photos.

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-05-26 | Website:

Went out for a short walk this morning (5/26/2011) and inspected trees along my route.

Counted 52 cast-off skins. 3 live nymphs. 3 tenerals. 4 adults---2 of which were promptly gobbled up by very active robins.

Collected one adult male Magicicada Tredecassini for study.

Very cold this morning. 54 degrees F.

My wife reported hearing a cicada calling out this morning with what she describes as a "tick-tick-tick-tick---Brrrrrrrrrrrr." But she says it was very brief.

I woke up about an hour later than her and have not heard any cicada calls.

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-05-26 | Website:

Hi Bill,

I added the two photos you sent today to your sighting above. Thanks for the ventral view. The extreme black of the sternites on the abdomen is key to identifying this species as Magicicada tredecassini. The song that your wife describes sounds like M. tredecassini as well.

However, be aware that there are three additional species of 13 year periodical cicadas. M. tredecim, M. neotredicim and M. tredecula. The two former mentioned are larger than M. tredecassini.

M.tredecula is similar in appearance to M. tredecassini in that the sternites on the abdomen are occluded with orange stripes. Each has a distinct call so please listen for them and if you're so inclined report back.

Also if you want, go to the videos section and select the Calling Songs category. There you will find calling songs for the 17 year cicadas that I've studied so far. You will find that their songs are similar to the 13 year cicadas.

Thanks for sharing your photos.

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-05-27 | Website:

Did a sampling:

Collected 100 cicadas today (5/27/2011) in a 2-hour period. All appear to be M. Tredecassini, although a couple of them appear to have somewhat larger ventrals than the others.

11 of the 100 I collected had deformed wings. Later this evening, I will send you an email with photos of this anomaly.

Easily over 1000 skin castings observed in a 5-acre area.

Observed 8 nymphs crawling up trees.

Heard one M. Tredecassini cicada calling while I was out collecting. No other cicadas chimed in.

Temperature was 67 deg. F. Winds calm. Sky slightly overcast. No rain today.

I'll try to give you daily updates.

Cheers

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-05-27 | Website:

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the update. I will be on my way to Virginia to map the northernmost range of the brood. I would be very interested in what you find from different locations around Blue Springs, MO instead of giving daily updates from the same location. I know it may be asking for much, but if you drive around your town or anywhere for that matter and as long as you note an address or nearest cross street and report that, that would be most helpful and would add greatly to the distribution map. I will have my computer and mobile devices with me on the road so I'll be in touch. Thanks for the updates.

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-06-06 | Website:

Thousands of M. Tredecassinis everywhere over here. Mating is in full swing.

The M. Neotredecims are here, but VERY rare. For the past few days, I've only heard about five or six calling. Their call is a lot lower in pitch and sounds somewhat ghostly. Our neighbor's daughter describes it as sounding like a kid screaming in the distance.

Have now collected a total of three M. Neotredecims. I'll email you the photos when I get some computer time. In the meantime, I'm headed over to Lake St. Louis and will update you on what I find, along with coordinates.

- Bill

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-06-06 | Website:

Hi Bill,

Thanks for the update. We liken the sound of M. neotredecim to hovering ufo's. They are quite a different sound than M. tredecassini and if you happen to come upon M. tredecula that sound is even more peculiar. Looking forward to future updates.

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-06-07 | Website:

Yup, you're absolutely right. They DO sound like hovering UFO's!

I wasn't able to go on any long treks today (my wife had the car), so I hung around Dardenne Prairie and tried to lure in some female M. neotredecims by using a large button on a loop of string and spinning it. It's a toy we used to make when I was younger. After playing with different sized buttons, I found one that sounds a lot like the mating call of an M. neotredecim. I don't know if it was that, or just plain luck, but after spinning the button for awhile, I went around looking in nearby trees and found 3 female M. neotredecims hanging out amongst the multitudinous M. tredecassinis. These are the first female neotredecims I have come across this year.

Anyway, the temperature got up around 95 degrees F. today. Obviously, there's lots of love in the air around here. Most every female M. Tredecassini I saw today was either mating or laying eggs.

I'll email you some photos of the mating and egg laying. As usual, you are free to use the photos in any way, shape, or form as you see fit.

- Bill

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-06-07 | Website:

Hey Bill,

Here's an experiment to try. Get a chair and a power tool like a weed wacker or skill saw and sit in the chair with the power tool turned on. I'd be interested to know if you're able to attract the females. M. tredecassini or M. neotredecim. I didn't have the opportunity in Viriginia to try this experiment but I have done it with lawnmowers and annual cicadas and that seems to attract females.

Thanks for the update.

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-06-10 | Website:

The cicada emergence here is winding down. I haven't seen any tenerals or nymphs for the past couple of nights. This morning, the ground was littered with carcasses and the usual cacophony of competing males has been replaced with sporadic quartets and duets.

BTW - Yesterday, I took you up on your challenge and pulled out my circular saw to rip some plywood in a clearing away from the trees. Sure enough, within mere seconds, I had a multitude of cicadas dive-bombing my head and landing on my shirt. All of this was VERY entertaining for my daughter! :)

Posted By: Bill Myers | On: 2011-06-10 | Website:

P.S. - The skill saw only attracted female M. tredecassinis (along with a few confused males). No M. neotredecims.

Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2011-06-10 | Website:

That's excellent Bill!

I figured it would work. I've been getting reports of the periodical cicadas dying off in a lot of places.

Well, now that we got you into periodical cicadas, hopefully we can get you to report in on the annuals as well.