I don't know how I've missed these in the past. I've been around for at least 2 previous hatchings and I don't recall having ever seen this species before. Usually, we see a few greenish-colored cicadas each summer. But the ones this year are a bit smaller, black bodied with red/orange eyes, and amber wings. And the NUMBERS! THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS!
The funny part is how you can drive by patches of forests, all the same age...and some are just THICK with cicadas and their loud sounds...while others are silent and empty.
My friend & co-worker Julie and I visited a campground during our lunch hour one day this week in mid-June, 2014. There were cicadas everywhere! Some Ash trees in the campground were marked with plastic bands with information on the invading Emerald Ash Borer. The Cicadas were having a hard time climbing up the tree past the slippery plastic, and so it was a good spot to snap pictures of groups of cicadas.
The sound was deafening. We had to raise our voices just to converse. When we left, our ears continued ringing for awhile. We asked a fellow who was camping in the park if they were able to sleep with all that noise. He said they get quiet around 5-6pm....and then don't start making noise again until after 8am in the morning. Such conscientious little critters!
Here's a short video, so you can hear the sound:
Dave, came across the Cicada times and sounds while visiting relatives in the very northeast part of Kansas last year. It is certainly something you can't soon forget. By the way, great pictures here!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Mel!
ReplyDeleteI have a short video, too, but I'm having some issues with YouTube...the video shows up on my phone's YouTube link, but its not there when I check it from my computer...even when I type in the exact same link!
Makes me want top water action.
ReplyDeleteThat was cool! We don't have that species but cicada imitations have caught trout and bull trout and bull trout for me here before I almost completely went to carp. Yet to catch a carp on one yet.
ReplyDeleteGregg