BY ED MCMACKIN
The mystery is solved. That light snapping sound made every five to ten seconds along brushy trails and forest edges is produced by a small, dark colored cicada. Only those with good hearing may hear the series of four to five ‘snips’. These insects started sounding off several weeks ago and will continue to do so into June when the buzzing of another, larger species of cicada will be heard.
This small dark, or black, cicada is not all dark. The four wings – two front and two back – are transparent except for the “wing veins” and the bases of the wings. The body and head are dark. It’s an odd looking insect, not looking like a beetle, grasshopper, and hornet (or, for sure, not like a butterfly or moth). If there were a resemblance to any other insect, it would be an aphid. However the cicada is very much larger than an aphid and also has a hard exoskeleton, while an aphid is soft. But they both have sucking mouthparts.
Dragonflies begin in an aquatic habitat ‘jet-propelling’ themselves about, then later fly about, but the black cicada begins life as a ‘miner’ then later possesses wings and whir from bush to bush to find suitable spots to sound off its ‘mating call.’ Adult female cicadas lay their eggs in slits in the bark of soft tree branches, much to arborists’ dismay. The young hatch and head for the ground where they will burrow into the earth and humus and live for several years, depending on the species.
Well known is the 17 Year Locust, which is not really a locust but a cicada. Why it is called the 17 Year Locust, I am not sure. I guess I could look into that. It seems that there’s a peak ‘hatching’ or emergence every 17 years. I believe some of this species stay in the ground a slightly shorter time and some perhaps longer.
Cicadas usually ‘vocalize’ on very warm or hot sunny days. Our larger reddish-brown cicada species, that in June follows our little black cicada, makes a long drawn out buzzing sound which sounds something like the buzz of high-tension wires on a misty or drizzly day. (Don’t stand under those wires. Once my umbrella was sparking when I was under high-tension wires).
It seems the way to best locate cicadas is to listen for them and attempt to locate the sound. They are very difficult to spot but if one hears the noise from a small bush, hit the bush or branch with a stick and it may fly to another bush or fall to the ground where you may be able to catch it. Does that sound exciting? At least it might test your catching skills. Remember they sound off during the day, not at night!