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

http://www.5orangepotatoes.com/blog/2009/09/03/singing-cicadas-craft/