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When does Okanagana Season Begin? - Part 2
As previously mentioned in part one, I wanted to check the earliest time I could expect to hear O. rimosa males calling. So going to my favorite area for O. rimosa, the Montague Plains wildlife management area, I intended to find out. I suspected that since my previous day's trip to New Hampshire was very successful in that I found evidence of Okanagana exuvia and additionally, heard males calling in the trees there, I was hoping for the same at Montague.
Okanagana rimosa Definitely Here!
I
Date Posted: 2010-05-31 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada Projects
When Does Okanagana Season Begin? - Part 1
That's actually a pretty good question. I have been curious about this since I first discovered O. rimosa in Massachusetts in 2007. Steadily for the past 3 years I have been coming back to this site. The earliest Okanagana rimosa visit to this Massachusetts site was last year on June 6th, 2009.
However, on July 18th of 2009 I found a NEW site for Okanagana in New Hampshire. This new site was found on a whim based on an obscure mention of a town in New Hampshire from a paper I read from Will
Date Posted: 2010-05-30 Comments: (2) Category: Cicada Projects
Today is a Good Day for Cicadas!
Despite the slow start for our Tibicen species of cicadas, I think we are at the peak of the emergence now for O. rimosa. If you remember, I started looking for this species earlier than usual this year because in previous years I would always get a late start. With the emergence of the periodical cicadas last year on Cape Cod, I really didn't have time to seek out O. rimosa then.
By now, there should be Tibicen cicadas calling in the trees but its' unusually quiet here in Massachusetts. No
Date Posted: 2009-07-11 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Happy 4th of July!
Hey folks, happy fourth to you! Not much to report today. It's very cloudy outside with the sun coming out in dribs and drabs. I did manage to snag one O. rimosus cicada calling on a small pine sapling at the Montague Plains. Not much else to report really. I did manage to see some other really cool fauna today though. I was walking in the high grass and I looked down and nearly jumped out of my skin! I almost walked on top of a Black Racer Snake! These are common in Massachusetts and when you s
Date Posted: 2009-07-04 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
First Tibicen of Massachusetts Reported!
Thanks to Kateri from Groton, MA for sending in this cool first photo of the 2009 season. This is a Tibicen lyricen just completing the eclose process on her car tire. I don't know what it is with this species but this is NOT the first time I've seen T. lyricen molting on car tires. I guess with the rubber, they can get a pretty good tight and secure grip!
As suspected, Tibicen lyricen is the first species from the Tibicen genus to emerge on the mainland of Massachusetts. Also as is expecte
Date Posted: 2009-07-02 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Some Cicadas from Las Vegas, NV.
So, is this a cool cicada or what? This little gem along with one other was captured in Las Vegas by my good friend Elias. Elias lives on Long Island and is a member of the Massachusetts Cicadas' Entomology-Cicadidae group. He was visiting Las Vegas for a 4 day bachelor party and wasn't quite sure if he wanted to spend time there hunting cicadas. But if you know Elias like I know Elias, you have to "prodd" him a little to get him going. I did this by convincing him that it would be wo
Date Posted: 2009-06-30 Comments: (1) Category: Cicada General Info
Okanagana rimosa Habitat Revisited
I went back again to my favorite Okanagana hunting spots but the weather is basically more of the same for June. Dreary and cloudy with very little sun. The week prior was mostly rain. I think I heard somewhere on the news that for the month of June, we only had three days of sunshine which is really bad. After talking with friends and relatives, it would seem that this weather has affected most of the northeast. Still though, despite all this it isn't raining and that's a good sign. The sun is
Date Posted: 2009-06-27 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Reports of Cicadas Emerging in the US
Below is a list of first reports that have been posted to Massachusetts Cicadas' Entomology-Cicadidae group from around the United State: June 12, Wake Co. N. Carolina Tibicen tibicen, Tibicen robinsonianus, Tibicen lyricen, Neocicada heiroglyphica Central Mississippi Neocicada heiroglyphica - May 24 Tibicen tibicen - June 1 Tibicen pruinosus - June 9 Washington Co. Arkansas Tibicen robinsonianus - June 6
Date Posted: 2009-06-23 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info
Wettest June on Record for Okanagana
This has to be the coldest and wettest June that I have ever experienced here in the Northeast. The week of June 7 - June 12 temperatures were in the 50's and it was also rainy. Despite this, on Saturday June 13th I headed back to my favorite spots in Montague, MA to hunt for more Okanagana. It was very sunny that Saturday and temps were in the mid 70's but still the Okanagana were not calling that day. I spent a good part of the day there and while I heard maybe one or two Okanagana the entire
Date Posted: 2009-06-20 Comments: (0) Category: Cicada General Info