The cicadas are coming

[jayem]

In the coming weeks, billions of cicadas will emerge in a dozen U.S. states, from New York west to Illinois and south into northern Georgia, including hot spots in Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey. This group of cicadas, known as Brood X (as in the Roman numeral 10) is among the geographically largest of all 17-year periodical cicadas.

Pretty cool. The link has a map of which broods appear in various parts of the country. The mating calls are made by male cicadas flexing and relaxing a pair of membranes on the 1st abdominal segment. I've read the volume can reach 96 dB. About the same as a lawnmower or low-flying airplane.

You can help map the emerging cicadas | EarthSky.org

 

[PloverWing]

I think cicadas are wonderful. I enjoyed finding cicada shells on the trees when I was a kid, and I listen to them as part of the song of summer.

 

[Bob Crowley]

... The mating calls are made by male cicadas flexing and relaxing a pair of membranes on the 1st abdominal segment. I've read the volume can reach 96 dB. About the same as a lawnmower or low-flying airplane....

The female cicadas must be deaf, or maybe it's the male cicada's annual revenge for the females talking too much the rest of the year?

 

[Landon Caeli]

The female cicadas must be deaf, or maybe it's the male cicada's annual revenge for the females talking too much the rest of the year?

Oddly enough, other insects seem to appreciate the sounds that cicada's make.

https://phys.org/news/2016-07-insect-singles-bar-cicadas-soundtrack.html

 

[jayem]

The female cicadas must be deaf, or maybe it's the male cicada's annual revenge for the females talking too much the rest of the year?

I think if you’ve been asleep for 17 years, you really want to make some noise when you wake up.

 

[public hermit]

The female cicadas must be deaf, or maybe it's the male cicada's annual revenge for the females talking too much the rest of the year?

They just held it all in until they exploded? Sounds about right. I didn't realize it was only the males.

Cicadas remind me of heat and humidity. I always associate cicades with oppressive heat, which is not really fair to cicadas.