All articles tagged with #cicadas
Researchers in India discovered that cicadas begin their dawn chorus when the sun is exactly 3.8° below the horizon, demonstrating an astonishing level of precision in tuning their singing to specific light levels during civil twilight, revealing complex collective decision-making influenced by environmental cues.
The article explores 32 of the loudest animals on Earth, ranging from the blue whale, which can emit calls up to 188 decibels, to the tiny African cicada, whose mating call reaches 107 decibels. It highlights the diverse ways these animals use their loud calls for communication, mating, and hunting, and includes fascinating details about each species' unique vocalizations and behaviors.
Chicagoans were expecting a significant cicada emergence this summer, but sightings have been sparse within the city compared to the suburbs. Block Club Chicago is tracking cicada sightings with a map and encourages residents to report their observations to help locate these insects.
A map by the U.S. Forest Service shows where cicadas from Brood XIX and Brood XIII will emerge in 2024, and Brood XIV in 2025. Brood XIX, the largest geographic brood, will be concentrated in Missouri and Illinois, while Brood XIII will inundate Illinois and Iowa. In 2025, Brood XIV will appear in Southern Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, and parts of West Virginia, Virginia, and North Carolina. Despite their large numbers, cicadas are not dangerous.
Researchers are studying a rare dual emergence of 17-year and 13-year cycle cicadas at Macbride Recreation Area in Iowa, a phenomenon not seen in 220 years. The 2020 derecho's impact on the area could have significantly affected the cicada population, but careful conservation efforts have allowed for a dense emergence. Scientists are investigating the cicadas' advanced auditory systems and using their sounds for artistic projects.
Cicadas from Brood XIII have emerged in some Chicago neighborhoods after 17 years, but sightings are inconsistent across the city. Areas with more greenery like Beverly and Edgebrook report high numbers, while more urbanized neighborhoods like Ravenswood and Logan Square see fewer or none. Entomologist Allen Lawrance explains that cicadas have a patchy distribution and are affected by local environmental conditions, including tree density and predator presence. The current emergence window is closing, and future cicada populations may be influenced by climate change.
This year, Brood XIX and Brood XIII of periodical cicadas, which have 13-year and 17-year life cycles respectively, are emerging together in the US for the first time since 1803, leading to high numbers of cicadas and their distinctive sounds in many areas.
The Noon Whistle Pub in Lombard, Illinois, is offering cicada-infused Malört shots for $5, using cicadas collected from a nearby park. This unique drink is available for a limited time, coinciding with the emergence of Brood XIII cicadas, which appear every 17 years. The pub advises those with shellfish allergies to avoid the shot.
The 17-year "Northern Illinois Brood" (Brood XIII) and the 13-year "Great Southern Brood" (Brood XIX) of cicadas are set to emerge in 2024, spanning across 17 states with some overlap in Illinois and Indiana. Michigan may not see as many cicadas as other states, and the emergence is expected to begin in late April or May when soil temperatures reach 64 degrees Fahrenheit. Cicadas are harmless insects that emerge in groups known as "broods" once every 13 or 17 years to reproduce, and they do not pose a danger to humans or animals. If you want to witness the emergence, heading to Indiana and Illinois is recommended.
Cicada maps for Illinois show that two broods of periodical cicadas will emerge in 2024, with one prevalent in the northern half and the other in the southern half of the state. Expected to emerge in May or early June, the cicadas will be noisy but harmless to humans and pets. This will mark the first time since 1803 that these two types of cicadas have emerged together, and they are expected to be spotted in areas with mature trees around the city and suburbs.
Trillions of cicadas are set to emerge in the United States for the first time in 17 years, marking the first double emergence in 200 years. This natural phenomenon will see the insects emerge in 15 states, creating a buzzing chorus that is both a spectacle and a nuisance for residents.
Trillions of Brood XIX cicadas, dormant for 13 years, are set to emerge in 2024, creating a rare "cicada-geddon" event in 14 states including Tennessee. The insects will produce their distinctive loud mating calls from mid-May to mid-June in Tennessee, with specific counties listed. The emergence is weather-dependent, and the males "scream" to attract mates. Brood XIX and Brood XIII cicadas have different emergence cycles, with theories suggesting their timing evolved to evade predators and adapt to ice ages.
Trillions of periodical cicadas set to emerge in the Midwestern and Southeastern states next month will face a unique predator, the cicada killer wasp, which preys on cicadas and may disturb lawns. The two broods, XIX and XIII, set to emerge in mid-to-late May, will be targeted by these wasps, which sting if threatened and can cause minor damage to lawns. The next double-emergence of these broods is not predicted until 2245.
A strange fungus called Massospora cicadina hijacks cicadas' bodies and behavior, destroying their genitals and replacing their abdomens with fungal spores, causing hypersexual behavior to spread the fungus further. Infected cicadas, termed "saltshakers of death," rain down spores while attempting to mate, and researchers have found amphetamines in the fungal plugs, potentially explaining the cicadas' behavior. This spring, two different broods of periodical cicadas will emerge simultaneously, and while cicadas are edible, caution is advised as up to 10% of them might develop the grotesque fungal infection.
Trillions of cicadas from Brood XIX and Brood XIII are set to emerge in the U.S., with some areas expecting up to a million cicadas per acre. Brood XIX, the largest periodical cicada group, will emerge across several states in mid-May, followed by Brood XIII in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, and potentially Michigan. The cicadas are harmless to humans and pets, but their emergence is expected to be a spectacle not seen in centuries.