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17 Year Cicada discarded skin

Magicicada

Description:

Magicicada is the genus of the 13- and 17-year periodical cicadas of eastern North America. Although they are sometimes called "17-year locusts" or "7-year locusts", these are misnomers as cicadas belong to the taxonomic order Homoptera, whilst locusts belong to Orthoptera. Magicicada spp. spend most of their 13- and 17- year lives underground feeding on xylem fluids from the roots of deciduous forest trees in the eastern United States. After 13 or 17 years, mature cicada nymphs emerge at any given locality, synchronously and in tremendous numbers. After such a prolonged developmental phase, the adults are active for about 4 to 6 weeks. The males aggregate into chorus centers and attract females for mating. Within two months of the original emergence, the life cycle is complete, the eggs have been laid and the adult cicadas are gone for another 13 or 17 years.

Habitat:

Sugar Hollow Park, in wooded area next to wetlands.

Notes:

No fully formed cicada seen. This appears to be part of Brood 1, or the Blue Ridge Brood as it is know which is due to appear this year in my area.

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BudShinall
Spotted by
BudShinall

Bristol, USA

Spotted on May 7, 2012
Submitted on May 8, 2012

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