The 17 Year Cicadas are HERE!

The cicadas are here!  I was just 12 years old the last time I saw them.  It’s so crazy!  These little guys (or girls) only emerge every 17 years.  They are the Brood V cicadas.  Some people love them and some people hate them.  My family loves them!

“From May through June the adult male cicadas will announce their presence with a loud chorus of sound that they use to attract a potential mate. Once the females have successfully mated, they will cut small slits in the twigs of trees to lay their eggs. When the eggs hatch the immature cicadas (called nymphs) will burrow into the soil where they will remain for another 17 years to start the process anew” (Frank, 2016).  Pretty neat, huh?  Here’s some pictures that I quickly snapped yesterday.  OoOO what I would do for a macro lens right about now! I have one arriving next week, so more photos to come!!!! YAY!

Here’s the crusty exoskeletons left behind.

I wouldn’t think that molting upside down under a leaf would be ideal, but I’m not a cicada, so who knows!?

These little guys were making their way up the tree!  I’m sure they didn’t appreciate me being up close and personal for these shots!

Just like everything else in nature, it’s survival of the fittest.  Not everyone develops the way that he/she is supposed to.

I caught this little guy!  He hasn’t shed his exoskeleton yet.  See how he’s not transparent yet?  That’s because he’s still in there!

They must have known the Barlows were a cicada-friendly family.  We have SOOOO many and our friends down the road (only a half mile) haven’t had any emerge yet!  So neat!

There are a bunch of Cicada Mania Facebook pages if you are interested and want some more information about these little guys and girls!

 

 

 

Reference

Frank, Daniel (April, 2015). Cicadas – Are the Brood V Coming to a Tree Near You?. West Virginia University.  Retrieved from http://anr.ext.wvu.edu/pests/insects/cicadas .