Cicadas — The “Brigadoon” of the Insect World
This has nothing to do with progressive politics, although the science would be fascinating. Every seventeen years, it is a way of life in the greater Washington D.C. area as the cicadas emerge. I live in northern Virginia, and yesterday is when we first started to see them on our street.
As the cicadas emerge, and shed their exoskeleton, they climb to the top of a grass stalk or bush so that the sun can dry their wings and they will then be able to fly. The density is one million per acre, and since most of us are no longer plowing the back 40, an acre is about the size of a football or soccer field.
Once they emerge in greater numbers, and they the males make their mating calls — they are loud— 100 decibels. A running gasoline lawn mower is about at the 80 decibels level.
They live about six weeks, lay their eggs, and wait for the next 17 years. The year I was in high school, you couldn’t walk down the sidewalk without “crunching,” there were that many exoskeletons on the ground.
As I said, I’m not a scientist, but I think they’re fascinating. How did they pick 17 years as the cycle that would ensure their survival? That’s just one question. The DC, Maryland, Virginia and much of Indiana are where the the largest concentrations are.
They are harmless, the only plants that are at risk are newly planted, young trees. Earth-Sky.org has a great 7 minute video about them if you’re intersted.