Magicicada along the trails.......

Magicicada....

along the horse trails, outside your home, along the road---stop and listen to the chorus of the Magicicada—as in rhythm thousands of male Magicicada raise a chorus of sound to higher and higher volume and drop it back down and repeat that cycle again and again and again.........

 

This is a spectacular sight and sound that we see/hear only once every 17 years---as that is how long these periodical cicadas stay in the ground before emerging for a few short weeks of flying, singing and mating to begin the cycle again. These are the Iowan Brood and last emerged in 1997. They do not bite nor sting. They are not venomous nor do they transmit any diseases. They don't even pose much of a threat to plants except perhaps the youngest or weakest trees. Birds, especially wild turkey, reptiles, squirrels and even some cats eat them. You may see piles of their bodies under trees as their season wanes

Notice that they have 5 eyes---three little ones (ocelli) in a triangle between the two big compound eyes. 

 

 

 The magicicada will be silent again sometime in July...for 17 more years.

As of July  4, 2014....The silence is deafening....only an occasional lonely Magicicada still sings.  Soon their silence will be complete for 17 more years.