Cicadas
What are they?
The somniferous buzz or hum of cicadas is very much the sound of summer, beginning once temperatures really start to soar. Despite these being large insects - as well as plentiful throughout our region - they are not often seen by most people as they spend the early part of their life cycle feeding on tree roots below ground, then spend adulthood high in the tree tops. Despite this, they can be found if searched for, and are perhaps most often seen when they are attracted to light at night. Some species have one-year life cycles and emerge on an annual basis, but others have life-cycles based on much longer life spans. These latter insects are the so-called periodical cicadas that are responsible for the sometimes huge mass emergences that happen from time to time. In our area, the most notable one of these is the 17-year cicada, which emerged in our area in 2013 and will not appear again until 2030.
Identification
The stout, chunky appearance of cicadas with their large heads and relatively long wings is distinctive and generally well known. Identifying the annual species can be very difficult and identification is best when based on sound, as each species has its own 'song' with the noise being made by using strong abdominal muscles to flex a structure called a tymbal. Excellent recordings of eastern North American species can be heard at insectsingers.com
Coastal Scissor-grinder Cicada Neotibicen latifasciatus
A common species on the coastal plain where it particularly favors coniferous areas. Usually well marked with white on the sides. Generally doesn't call much at dusk. The song is very distinctive in our area as it rises and falls with a swishing quality and is likened to the sound of someone sharpening scissors on a grinder - hence the English name.
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Dog-day Cicada Neotibicen canicularis
A common species but difficult to identify as it has a tendency to be highly variable in appearance, though it is often a little smaller than other species found in our area. The song is relatively short, high-pitched and often quite piercing.
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Lyric Cicada Neotibicen lyricen
A common species but difficult to identify as it has a tendency to be highly variable in appearance, though it is often a little larger than other species found in our area. The song is a little slower than similar species, giving it a slightly rattling or trembling quality.
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Periodical Cicada Magicicada septendecim
The famous (or 'infamous'!) cicadas of nightmares, that emerge from the ground in huge numbers on a regular cycle. Most species emerge on 13- or 17-year cycles and it is beleived that these prime number emergences have evolved as it creates a pattern of emergence that is most difficult for potential parasite species to adapt to. Populations of these species are regional across North America, with asynchrony of emergences of various populations having evolved over time, such that defining species is difficult in this group. In Cape May County, we have just one of the 17-year populations, with the last emergence having taken place in the Belleplain area in 2013. The din from these creatures all call together is quite extraordinary and well worth the wait to experience. Adults are present for only six weeks or so, before pairs have mated, females have laid eggs, and a mass die-off takes place. Eggs laid inside the thinner, outer branches of forest trees hatch after a few weeks and the hatchlings drop to the ground. They tunnel down to spend the next 17 years feeding on the sap of tree roots, before the whole cycle starts again. Excellent information on the remarkable life cycles of these insects can be found at magicicada.org
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