Be a Friend to Cicadas What is a cicada? Thorax Abdomen Head [ What is a cicada? Thorax Abdomen Head [ Thomas Shahan jcantroot What is a cicada? Thorax Abdomen Head [ Thomas Shahan jcantroot Periodical Cicadas Brood X (Ten) How are they different? Susan Ellis, Bugwood.org Judy Gallagher Periodical Cicadas Dog-day Cicadas ● Nymphs take 13-17 years to develop ● Nymphs take 3-5 years to develop ● Adults emerge synchronously in the spring ● Adults emerge asynchronously ● Huge numbers of adults only during throughout the summer emergence years ● Smaller number of adults every year Cicada vs. Locust Cicada vs. Locust ● “True Bug” ● A type of grasshopper ● Drinks plant sap ● Eats leaves and stems ● Does not destroy crops ● Destroys crops Where are periodical cicadas? Where are periodical cicadas? Where are the Brood X cicadas? Where are the Brood X cicadas? Where are the Brood X cicadas? Brood X SpeciesImages from cicadamania.com Magicicada septendecim Magicicada cassinii Magicicada septendecula ● largest species ● smallest species ● intermediate size ● abdomen has thick ● abdomen is all ● abdomen has narrow orange stripes black orange stripes ● most common ● least common Cicada songs lead to mating and egg-laying in the tree branches. A soft white adult After 6 weeks, tiny emerges from its nymphs drop from the nymphal shell; it soon branches and burrow expands its wings, into the soil to begin darkening and feeding on tree roots. hardening overnight. Nymphs live underground, alone, feeding on sap from tree roots for 17 years, and molting 4 times. Insect Life Cycles 1 Egg 3 Adult 2 Nymph Incomplete Metamorphosis Insect Life Cycles 1 Egg 1 Egg 2 Larva 4 Adult 3 Adult 2 Nymph 3 Pupa Incomplete Metamorphosis Complete Metamorphosis Cicada Life Cycle Egg = 50 days (<1%) Nymph = 5,972 days (98.5%) Adult = 28 days (0.4%) Total Lifespan = 6,205 days If you were born after August 2004, these cicadas are older than you are! Feeding Image from Marlatt, 1898 Getting Ready... Emergence! Molting into an Adult Courtship and Mating Male Tymbals Female Marlatt 1898 Photos by Mike Raupp Egg-laying and Hatching From Snodgrass, 1930 Flagging on trees Eggs in wood slit First instar nymphs Who eats cicadas? People eat cicadas! Chocolate-covered cicadas Why are there so many? https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/3/130329-cicadas- Gene Kritsky, Mount St. Joseph University coming-sky-locust-swarm-animal-science/ How do cicadas tell time? ? Fungus and Cicadas What happens to dead cicadas? continues. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/news/2013/3/30329-cicadas-coming-sky-l ocust-swarm-animal-science/ Meet the Cicada Team Diane Lill Dr. John Lill Audubon Naturalist Society George Washington University Dr. Zoe Getman-Pickering Dr. Martha Weiss George Washington University Georgetown University Learn More! Digital Notebook www.friendtocicadas.org Cicada Haiku Contest .