Cicada Mania!
There is a
wonderful and exciting insect event taking place across Iowa this year - 17
year periodical cicadas are emerging! This
event won’t take place again until 2031! Get out in your backyard, or local park and explore the world of these fascinating insects!
17-year periodical
cicadas are among the longest lived insects in the world and are the longest
lived insects in North America. Nearly their entire life is spent underground
as a nymph, their immature form, before emerging and molting into their adult
form. They live in their adult form for
about 4-6 weeks during which time they will mate and the female will lay eggs,
before they die.
There are
also species of annual cicadas which have broods that hatch every year or every
other year. What sets the periodical cicadas apart and makes them so special are
the synchronized hatches every 13 or 17 years as various broods come into
maturity at once.
Periodical
cicadas, genus Magicicada, are frequently
and incorrectly referred to as “locusts”. Periodical cicadas are actually more
closely related to leafhoppers and are in the insect order Hemiptera while true
locusts are in the order Orthoptera and are related to grasshoppers.
Periodical
cicada nymphs live underground for 17 years feeding on the juices of plant
roots. The nymphs of periodical cicadas undergo
5 instar stages or molts as they grow and develop. During a hatch year periodical cicada nymphs
emerge on warm spring evenings once the soil temperature has reached 63° F.
They climb onto nearby vegetation to molt on last time and complete their
transformation into adult cicadas, called imago. After they molt they are
whitish and their exoskeleton is soft. After
about an hour their exoskeleton will harden and darken. Adults have red eyes
and a black dorsal thorax. Their wings are translucent and have orange veins.
The undersides of their abdomens are black, orange, or striped with orange and
black depending on the species. They average 1 to 1.5 inches in length. Females
are slightly larger than males.
Cicadas
are well known for their song or “buzz” male cicadas sing to attract a mate.
Their loud buzzing or drumming sound is produced by two shell-like “drums” or tymbals
located along the sides of their abdomens. Strong muscles vibrate these drum
membranes several times per second producing the incessant loud buzzing sound
they are well known for. A group of
males in a “chorus” tree can reach 100 decibels!
After mating
the female cicada will cut V-shape slits in the bark of young twigs, laying approximately
20 eggs in each. She will lay approximately 600 eggs during the mating season.
The cicada eggs will hatch after about 6 to 10 weeks and the newborn nymphs
will drop to the ground where they will burrow down and find tree roots to feed
off of. They will spend the next 17 years of their lives underground feeding,
growing and developing before they emerge to start the cycle again! In many countries
cicadas are seen as a symbol of rebirth.
Cicadas do
not bite or sting. Their mouth parts are made for piercing plants and sucking
sap. Theoretically they could “pierce” your skin if they were to mistake you
for a tree, but the chances of that happening are highly unlikely. Even if this
were to happen they do not possess venom nor do they carry diseases that can
harm humans.
Cicadas
also do not pose a serious threat to mature vegetation. There may be isolated
areas of sapling die-off, or of mature trees that have twig die-off, but
overall cicadas do not have a detrimental effect to forest and woodland health.
In many
regions of the world cicadas are considered a delicacy and are eaten in both
savory meals and in sweets. Care to delve into the world of edible insects?
Below is a recipe to try!
Candied Cicadas
1 pound cicadas
1 cup white sugar
2 tsp ground cinnamon
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spread
cicadas in a single layer over a baking sheet. Roast for approximately 15-20
minutes, or until the cicadas start to turn brown and are thoroughly dried out.
Stir together sugar, cinnamon, salt,
and milk in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium-high heat for eight minutes, or
until the mixture reaches the soft ball stage at 236°F (113°C). Remove from
heat, and stir in vanilla immediately.
Add cicadas to sugar syrup, and stir to
coat well. Spoon onto waxed paper, and immediately separate cicadas with a
fork. Cool and store in airtight containers.
Singing
Cicada Craft
