Perodical Cicada
Bachelor's Grove Cemetery
Every 16 or 17 years, the northern Illinois area is swarmed by cicadas. Areas that have or had mature trees are hit heaviest. The cicadas emerge from a 16 year underground larvae stage and burrow up onto the surface to dry out and molt. Once they shed their "skin" their wings grow and dry out in about an hour, then they take flight up to the tree tops where they call for a mate. The cicada's call is the loud, buzzing sound you hear in the summer, but here where there are millions and millions of cicadas, it's almost too loud to think! The combined call sounds like a whaling fire alarm in the forest!
They only live for two weeks, just enough time to mate and lay eggs that will hatch, burrow underground and feed for the next 16 years.
Parts of the woods are literally covered in live cicadas and their skins. You can't walk around without one landing on you. No worries, the cicada does not have any mouth parts or stingers, so they're harmless.
click to enlarge
Cicada on Mike's Neck
1 comment:
You just can't win!
Somethings always out to bug us
one way or another around here.
Thank You.
Eddie.
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