Ok, maybe one cicada sighting doesn’t rate “invasion”, but we have been waiting for these ugly things to emerge. Brood X is the designation given to this bunch of cicadas, who have been underground for 17 years. You can read all about them just about everywhere.
It was long after dark when we spotted one hanging on a tarp that we had over some stuff on a couple of card tables. The cicada is crawling out of its now hard shell.
Starting to leave its shell
Doing a back bend to get out
This morning the cicada was beside its now abandoned shell. Usually they are on tree trunks at this point, but this guy ended up on a green tarp.
Finally free, its just chilling
Side view: you can see details of the cicada and its abandoned shell
Like I said, we’ve been waiting for the cicadas to emerge. The weather has been hot enough that the soil should have been warm enough a couple of days ago. Oh well, at least things are starting to happen. It will remain to be seen how many cicadas will emerge in our yard, or in our town. And maybe this one we have will start producing that loud obnoxious sound today.
Roadtirement 
I have a friend who knows my love for hiking, who keeps reminding me that these things are a favorite food for copperhead snakes and to be aware now of even the trees I pass for a copperhead is not above climbing is search of its snack. Oh joy.
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First I’d heard that! Copperheads, IMHO are one of the most sinister of the fanged snakes. They give no warning, would rather strike than flee, and with their markings can disappear completely from view. Having one in a tree is even more frightening…
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Last year when I began working in my yard and undoing years of neglect, I came across copperheads at various locations. Every time I was within striking distance. Neither time did either of them coil to strike. I have a friend who is a ‘snake guy’ who actually has presentations on snakes. I’ve learned a lot about them from him. I also now know that they are making a medication for cancer tumors from the venom of copperheads. I still am glad I haven’t seen one since I got the yard cleared of hiding places.
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Glad you got your yard free of dens/resting places.
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Where are you. I haven’t heard them here on long island yet.
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We are in central Indiana. The maps I’ve seen show infestation on the east coast stretching to midwest. A search will show you if you’re going to have any..
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Fascinating – 17 years underground!
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Their life cycle is interesting, as are the different types of cicadas. Lots of different kinds, and I think 17 years is the longest cycle.
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Ewww!
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That’s exactly what my daughter said! And appropriate too😜
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We got a different brood last year, and it was very bad. I could not go outside during the day because there were so many flying at once, and emerging. Our area had a heavy concentration. I looked at the map this year, and it looks like this brood will be farther away from us. I read that concentration can be as much as a million cicadas per acre. The noise is very loud. During that time, I noticed that most birds left, and after the cicadas were gone, they returned. It was a long six weeks.
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So far reports here are noting spotty concentrations, but emergence has really just started. Time will tell, I guess. Sher read yesterday that the noise made hurts the birds, you have confirmed that. Thanks for sharing your experiences.
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We haven’t seen any yet, but it’s been a pretty cool spring in my corner of the world. Rumor has it we will be thick with them this year. I know they can cause problems and when there are a lot of them they can be hard to deal with, but I have such fond memories of collecting cicada shells when I was a kid that I don’t really mind so much.
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Oh I agree. I as a bratty brother loved to collect the shells and put them in my sister’s room. Got busted for that more than once. So far we have only seen one cicada, but the science says the emergence will last about 5 more days. It will be an interesting next few weeks.
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My friends and I used to try to sneak up and stick them on each other’s shirts without detection. Times were simpler then.
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The good old days: we miss them too, Sarah. Thanks for the share. 😉
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I must be in the minority here, I think they’re kinda cute AND I like their sounds! I suppose I love nearly all the sounds of spring & summer, though. I hope they don’t gobble up your plants or crops.
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We’ve been waiting for tem, so they are welcome. We don’t worry about the plants and other’s crops: Brood X cicadas only eat tree sap.
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I did not know that! Interesting little boogers… fascinating, really.
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They are fascinating, as is their odd life cycles. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
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They truly are crazy, neat creatures.
Pleasure
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We’re still waiting for more to show up!
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It’s strange that yesterday was the first I’d read of them, & in the evening I saw my 1st one, dead on the front porch… poor thing. Now, im waiting for more to show up as well – alive.
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Glad you saw one. We’re still waiting for more to hit our backyard. We’ve only had the one so far. Oh, wouldn’t lizards like them to eat?
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Perhaps. As many age, they tend to lean more towards an an herbivore diet. Yet, Murph, at more than 4 yrs. aged, has been wanting to eat bees lately. No bees for Lil’ Murph. And, we’re going to have a chat about no Cicadas either!
: )
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😂 Good luck with the “don’t eat the cicada” talk. 😉
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They are a bit ugly but I like the sounds they make. In Michigan, I heard a few of them at once as though they were talking to each other. We have them here in the desert, they only make that sound when it’s in the dead heat of summer.
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I read there are like 67 different kinds, and are on all continents except Antarctica.
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Wow, amazing little bugs. They will be here after humans have vanished!
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These critters are so interesting. We used to have a lot that I’d notice, but not so much now. We were up in Missouri one year when they were so many of them. So loud! 🙂
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They certainly make their presence know, that’s for sure.
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in the underground for 17 years – it’s so fascinating 😃
Sometimes nature does strange things 😁
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In nature there is nothing that is too strange! Thanks for stopping by!
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Here in Maryland, Brood X came above ground last week … and those suckers are making their loud song. It’s fascinating to see them and know they’ve been below ground for 17 years. And there’s a lot of them!
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Sounds like you are a little over a week ahead of us here in Indiana. So far we have only seen the one in our yard!
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I love cicadas. I think they are quite lovely. Call me a weirdo. I’m used to it.
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We both have been waiting to see them!
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We have been wondering when we will see or hear them here in AZ. They may be too smart to come here. But probably the love the heat! I remember of hearing them when we had a house. Haven’t seen or heard them this year yet.
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The maps I’ve seen do not show Brood X west of the Mississippi.
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About a month ago I read that this brood is good to eat… shripm taste. I don’t think I’ll be testing that (plus I don’t like shrimp).
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Supposedly anything with a mouth will be able to feast on Brood X. Not me, though, I’m with you on that.
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There’s an interesting article on cicadas in the UK Guardian though you possibly already know all the facts it includes.d
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Thanks for sharing, we’ll check it out.
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Amazing shot☺️
Check my collections on 👇
http://www.ebendophotography.Wordpress.com
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Thanks for the visit and the comment!
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We have cicadas every summer in Nebraska. I have no idea how to tell one brood apart from another. I do enjoy their buzzing. The sound is one of the few things I truly enjoy about summertime.
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We’re still waiting for more than the one! They do sound nice in the summer.
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The hell if they do! That’s all you hear all day over here in Maryland! And there are different sounds, with one that sounds like an alien. 👽 Forget about sleeping in because they start back up the next day before the crack of dawn. One day it was 3:10 a.m. I did get two days of peace this weekend because it was cold and rainy and they didn’t seem to like that and they were silent.
You can have them.
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Sorry about your luck for being where they are.
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Lol! I’m just sick of them. I’ve been listening to them for two weeks.
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😀
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Sorry for your luck of being where “they” are.
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