Cicadas Living and Dying in Unison

Cicadas are all over the world, but like many other living things, different kinds live in different areas. The "periodical cicadas" (also called Magicadas) are not found on a chemistry table of elements, so don't look there, Hoss. Those critters are mostly in the eastern part of North America. They're not a pest and don't seem to be much good (except as food for other things) and they make a lot of noise.

Public Doman, from Insects, their way and means of living,by R. E. Snodgrass (Plate 7).

"Them's good eatin'. Do you want them deep fried or stir-fry?"

I'll pass right now, but you go right ahead, old son.

Periodical cicadas are baffling to Darwinistas because they live underground for years, then different broods appear in huge swarms. The adults live for a month, mate, and die in unison. (Sounds like it would make for a good country music song.) How do they know? Also, they seem useless at first, but they're actually beneficial.

They march out of the ground a mighty throng. In multitudes of more than a million and a half per acre, they reach plague-like proportions. Among the most familiar of all insects in eastern North America, they are the periodical cicadas.

Insects grab our attention for lots of reasons, both good and bad. Honeybees delight us with sweetness; butterflies entrance us with beauty; wasps frighten us with pain; lightning bugs glow in the dark; and praying mantises are just big, cool-looking predators.

What about cicadas? Well, they’re biggish bugs, but they don’t sting or glow or devastate crops or produce honey, and they’re certainly not rare. What’s fascinating about periodical cicadas is their sheer numbers and the mysterious timing of their emergence from hiding.

To read the rest, you can fly over to "Periodical Cicadas—Synchronized Swarming". In addition, here is some material on their math skills. And if you want to know when Magicadas are scheduled to appear in your area, click on this link to Cicada Mania.