Date: Sat, 13 May 2000 17:27:29 -0400 Reply-To: Maryland Birds & Birding Sender: Maryland Birds & Birding From: paula sullivan Subject: Re: May Count and...Cicada? MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Gail Mackiernan wrote: > The most interesting observation was that of a 17-Year-type cicada. Now= the > last big irruption of these cicadas was 1987, and so this guy is either= early > or one of a smaller brood (or a 13-year type, but I didn't know there w= ere any > of this type in the DC area). I have lived next to this park since 1972= and > can't recall seeing this type of cicada except in 1987. Anyone have any > thoughts? I have begun to notice them in the last two days emerging in impressive n= umbers from their nymphal cases amidst hostas planted under an ash tree in my fr= ont yard. They seem very lethargic and one seemed to be on his last legs sinc= e they were pointed skyward. A titmouse was devouring another. The Audubon Fiel= d Guide to N. American Insects and Spiders says that they "emerge in a single loc= ality only once every 13 or 17 years" so it looks like these must be part of a = 13-year brood.My guide says that Periodical Cicadas are "mostly east of the Miss= issippi" and that there are 14 broods of 17-year cicadas and only 5 of the 13-yea= r cicadas known to exist today. A new listserv, Va-Md-De-Bugs, has just started which deals with the obs= ervation of insects of all kinds. You can subscribe by sending an email to VA-MD-DE-Bugs-subscribe@egroups.com Paula Sullivan Alexandria, VA paulas@erols.com ========================================================================= To leave the MDOsprey list, send e-mail to listserv@home.ease.lsoft.com with the following message in line 1: signoff mdosprey ========================================================================= ===========================================================================