'Born' a year too soon
@evilamericans (909)
Olney, Illinois
May 25, 2023 11:08am CST
Or actually 'emerged' a year too soon. This is either 1) a 13-year periodical cicada or 2) a 17-year periodical cicada - they look exactly the same only the number of years spent underground is different. I'm fairly certain it is a 13-year cicada from Brood XIX known as 'The Great Southern Brood' which is due next year in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Missouri, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. There is also a 17-year brood due to emerge next year, but that is farther north of me.
I've never seen a periodical cicada emerge 'out of time' before, and this one will most likely have a lonely existence for a short while (2-3 weeks) until it dies without finding a mate,
These are fairly small, wings and all it is only about 1 inch/2.5 cm or about half the size of an annual cicada (the black and green ones that appear every year).
Poor bug. 13 people like this
11 responses
@MarieCoyle (16672)
•
25 May
The noise they make never bothered me at all. I associate it with a hot summer evening, windows open at Grandma's house when I was a little girl.
Poor bug. No chance of a friend. Don't let 'moci eat him(or her).
2 people like this
@MarieCoyle (16672)
•
25 May
@evilamericans
Or maybe crouched under a bush eating her latest catch! I keep waiting for her to catch a live mouse and not kill it, and bring it in for you to chase down.
2 people like this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
Not sure where she be at the moment, possibly napping somewhere.
1 person likes this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
I wouldn't have noticed this one if I hadn't been out clipping stuff on the property line again.
2 people like this
.@much2say (52333)
• Los Angeles, California
28 May
@evilamericans Interesting how the white squirrels just live in Olney . . . hmmmmm. 
1 person likes this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
26 May
I'm not sure how it got triggered early. Or the white squirrels caused it to happen. I've always said they have strange mutant powers. 
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (78542)
• Marion, Ohio
25 May
Poor thing. But you got a great picture
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (78542)
• Marion, Ohio
25 May
@evilamericans It's chilly here today too
2 people like this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
Bit chilly for it, thing was too sluggish to move.
2 people like this
@CarolDM (205529)
• Nashville, Tennessee
25 May
@evilamericans I have to turn up the music. Not a bad thing.
2 people like this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
They do make a hell of a racket and with all my trees it gets purty danged loud. 
2 people like this
@Jenaisle (13327)
• Philippines
25 May
That's a well-captured shot. What a lonely cicada. I remember during summer in my small village, we follow their sound and catch them using glue. The old folks roast and eat them by removing their wings and feet. They said they tasted like chicken. I've never eaten them though. I was grossed out.
Oh, I'm sorry. Am I speaking gross things here?
I love their sound though as it denotes that sunny days were back again in the village.
2 people like this
@Fleura (26136)
• United Kingdom
26 May
@evilamericans Was there a cicada lockdown too??
1 person likes this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
26 May
Probably lost track during the pandemic.
1 person likes this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
I went to Wiki to find out what brood it was from and the nearest due to emerge are both next year, the light blue is my area, the brown is the northern part. I have thought about it quite a bit this morning now and I cannot recall ever seeing one emerge a year early.
1 person likes this
@JimBo452020 (52137)
• Montrose, Scotland
25 May
Did you not speak about these in 2006?
1 person likes this
@JimBo452020 (52137)
• Montrose, Scotland
26 May
@evilamericans
I do recall reading about it on here.
Wonder who I was in 2011
1 person likes this
@evilamericans (909)
• Olney, Illinois
25 May
Maybe 2011, Great Southern Brood is a 13 year cycle
2 people like this
