The 17 Year Cicada Invasion has Begun

Post by **Canuck** » Wed May 21, 2008 4:51 pm

There are several different broods of 17-year cicadas, each with different spatial distributions. Each brood re-emerges every 17 years. Brood X, which emerged in 2004, is centered in southern Indiana. Brood XIV, which is coming out now, is centered in southeastern Kentucky.
Crawling (literally, at times) around forests of Indiana counting cicada emergence holes is one of many weird things I've done in the name of science.

Post by **tutugirl** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:06 pm

Getting up to have sex every 17 years sounds like a long wait...

Post by **bcombs** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:07 pm

But I bet it is good!

Post by **tomdarch** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:29 pm

As repulsive as I find them, the whole brood/x year cycle thing is pretty amazing. By emerging every 13/17 years in a given area, they can "outlast" a lot of their predators.

As long as they stay in the trees getting their much delayed, buggy freak on and stay off the rocks - I'll be good.

In the last week or so, have people actually seen many of them in the gorge? (Please, please, please tell me they're just in the trees and not crawling around in pockets or on ledges!)

Post by **Glenrider** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:32 pm

And they thought being a Vulcan waiting on a 7 year mating cycle was bad.
Yes, Canuck is very correct, there are other Broods on different timeframes. Some wait less than 17 years.

But this one is THE Big One. None of the others will compare to the event you will experience this year. Billions are coming!

Post by **Danny** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:37 pm

Also by using prime numbers it makes it difficult for a predator to evolve in sync with them. It would be easier for predator adaptation to bootstrap from 3 or 4 years to 12, for example, but you have to hit 13 or 17 right on the nose.

Post by **Glenrider** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:41 pm

Danny,
Extremely impressive logic.

Post by **tomdarch** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:41 pm

OK - I've been poking around some websites:

http://www.cicadamania.com/
http://magicicada.org/

According to one of these, the infestation should be wound down by the end of June.

Post by **tutugirl** » Wed May 21, 2008 6:45 pm

It is also a natural way of ground aeration since they make a hole on the way out.

Post by **Danny** » Wed May 21, 2008 7:08 pm

Glenrider wrote:Danny,
Extremely impressive logic.

not mine

http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v93/i9/e098107
http://www.sciencenetlinks.com/sci_update.cfm?DocID=215