A Word About Magicicada Tredecim here in Missouri


 Magicicada Tredecim is the official term for what the locals here call; "locust." Never mind that a locust and a cicada are two radically different creatures.  The year 2024 is termed by the older residents of Missouri as a "Locust Year;" meaning that the 13 year periodical cicadas are emerging.

The picture above is of a nymph crawling up a tree trunk after having emerged from the ground beneath where for the last 13 years it has been feeding on tree root sap.  It likely crawled up and "hatched" into the winged form of the insect, leaving the husk still attached to the tree.  It amazes me that this little guy has been down in the ground all this time as we have walked around over his head living our prosaic lives while he just chills on tree roots.  Somehow, one of God's own miracles, they count off the years and all emerge during two months in the same summer.   

There is a 17 year cicada, but a quick Google search didn't tell me whether there is a 17 year brood that will hatch in Missouri, a different summer.  There is indeed a 17 year brood that is hatching this summer at the same time as the 13 year cicadas; an overlap that only occurs every 200+ years.  But this will not be occurring in Missouri, more's the pity. Even though it would be crazy for a few weeks, I would love to have experienced it.  I have been in Missouri for 19 years now, and so far two 13 year cicada hatchings are all I have experienced. 

Here is the hatched version:


They are smaller than the annual cicada, and have red eyes, which the annuals do not have.  They are not attractive, and look rather monstrous, but are quite harmless.  For such a small creature they are capable of making an intense noise.  The annual cicada is commonly referred to as "jar flies" by locals.  This isn't because they would keep them in jars; it is because they will jar you with their noise. 

Supposedly they are quite nutritious, packed with proteins and whatnot, but they are so tiny that it would take quite a collection of them to make a meal, even if you were only to toss some toasted specimens on your salad.  At the moment we just don't have enough of them around to bother collecting, and I am not THAT adventurous in the culinary department anyway.  Ha!


Comments

Donna. W said…
I was afraid of the cicadas as a child. I haven’t heard any of them this year so far.
May 16, 2024 at 7:58 AM
Calfkeeper said…
I am quite sure I would have been terrified of them when I was a child. We didn't have sitch on the coast of Northern California. But I had a phobia of moths until I was well into my upper teens.
May 20, 2024 at 6:29 AM
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