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Cicadas from Livonia, MI

Sightings Category: Cicadas

Cicadas from Livonia, MI

The trees behind our medical office are FULL of cast off skins and we have watch them climb out of their skins and air themselves till their wings are fully expanded. Sometimes, the bees get them first. I have been in this building since 1999 and have never seen this many.

Date Posted: 2008-09-03 Comments: (2) Show Comments Hide Comments

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Posted By: Massachusetts Cicadas | On: 2010-12-20 | Website:

Hi Jackie

That sure is a lot of cicadas on one tree. Unfortunately though, I am unable to tell the species due to the photo's clarity. But given the type of tree they are on (Pine tree) and the season of their emergence (mid-august to early September) I would hazard a guess and say they were either Tibicen pruinosus or Tibicen canicularis. It is really difficult to tell without seeing a clear picture or obtaining an adult specimen.

If there are any brown shells left, would it be possible to send some to me for analysis or even better an adult cicada?

Annual cicadas usually live underground in larval form anywhere from two to nine years. Some years you may experience heavy emergence's of a particular species in an area and light emergence's in other years. It could be that these cicadas developed at the same rate when one or more females of the same species laid eggs in the trees several years ago. Next year I wouldn't be surprised if you found very little.

This year I found 7 cast-off shells on my Dogwood tree in my front yard after one evening. They were from a species of cicada known as Tibicen lyricen. In previous years prior to this sighting I never found cast off cicada shells on my Dogwood tree!

The holes in the ground you are seeing are definitely exit holes from the nymphs as they emerge from the ground. Cicadas do not dig themselves back in so the scratching marks may be from the cicadas walking around on the ground after they came out of their holes.

Keep me posted on your sightings in this area especially next year and report back.

Oh and let me know if you can send over some shells.

Posted By: Jackie | On: 2010-12-20 | Website:

Hi Gerry,
Got to work this am and in the middle of the sidewalk was an adult (dead sorry to say) just waiting to be sent to you. I will get you a few shells also. Sorry about the pictures, but the only camera I have on hand is my cell phone. Where did you want me to send the specimens?
Jackie

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