By now we have all heard the buzz around the dual emergence of periodical cicada Brood XIII in our region alongside the emergence of Brood XIX to the south. This is an historic occasion, not having happened since Thomas Jefferson was President in 1803. Since there will be nowhere to hide from the missions of insects about to ascend upon us, the Jo Daviess Conservation Foundation (JDCF) is celebrating with a series of cicada ‘Emergence Convergence’ events May 31 – June 2.
Cicada expert Gene Kritsky has predicted May 18, plus or minus two days, when the surface soil temperature will have reached 64 degrees, as setting off the invasion of masses of nymphs – hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of them. They crawl out of the ground mostly at night, snowy white with atrophied wings. By morning they have hardened and transformed into black adult insects, about an inch in length with W-shaped wings spanning two to three inches. Only the dramatic red eyes of the nymphs remain about the same in the adults.
Join JDCF for a cicada ‘Emergence Convergence’ celebration. There will be something for every member of the family including cicada hikes at Casper Bluff, specialty cocktails and cicada snacks at Blaum Bros. Public House in Galena, and scientific presentations by Jim Louderman, Entomologist from the Chicago Field Museum.
For more information visit Jdcf.org.
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