Science-y Thoughts
We’re now in the third week of the septendecimal appearance of Brood XIV, not quite halfway through. Emergence has slowed but continues overall, with bursts of activity in sheltered spots where the soil is slower to warm. Today is a sunny day in the low 70s (F), and the decibel level is in the mid 80s, well within the range that can cause hearing damage over time. (I’m writing this from the back porch and wearing noise-cancelling earphones.) There’s a constant flurry of bugs (actually correct, as they are members of Order Hemiptera, which are known as true bugs) from tree to tree or between ground and trees. It’s like a time-lapse video of all the world’s busiest airports stacked on each other.
Although they didn’t emerge all at once like last time (we’ve had a cooler spring this year – I’m guessing temperatures in May 2008 went straight from 40s to 80s, as sometimes happens here), they’ve nevertheless been impressive. I downloaded a citizen scientist app and have been contributing photos and videos to an ongoing study of periodic cicadas in the U.S. Here’s the most fascinating thing I’ve learned about these critters: Brood XIV were the first periodical cicadas recorded by Europeans when it emerged in 1634 at Plymouth Colony. The colonists described “a quantity of a great sort of flies like for bigness to wasps or bumblebees, which came out of holes in the ground…and soon made such a constant yelling noise…as ready to deaf the hearers.”
More Poetic Thoughts
I’m wondering if these weren’t the original BEMs (Bug-Eyed Monsters) of science fiction…
My son observed that the pale, newly emerged adults look like enlightened, brilliant beings or whimsical creatures of fancy, whereas the fully matured adults just look like vaguely horrifying, too-large-for-comfort insects.
Somewhat along the same lines, the newly emerged adults seem to me rather like ghosts or fairies, though I find the fully pigmented adults more comical and friendly-looking, with their big round eyes. Rather like Muppets, perhaps.
Signing off from Cicada Central, as my daughter now describes our place…
For the sake of arachno-squeamish readers, I’ve begun this post with a photo of my Hibiscus moscheutos — reblooming!
The Daily Compost 