Tuesday, May 31, 2011

13 Year Cicadas

We spent Memorial Day weekend in Southern Illinois, and these cicadas greeted us.  My cousin told me that these are 13 year periodic cicadas.  Further investigation found an article from Scientific American that also calls them the "Great Southern Brood" or brood XIX.  The article notes that you can eat them and compares them to asparagus.  My cousin's husband as well as my husband described them as buttery and creamy.  No thanks....I'll pass...
13 year periodic cicada near Marion, IL
Empty shells shed by the emerging cicadas were everywhere.
This one didn't quite make it out of his shell
A newly emerged cicada.  My husband woke me up at 6:30 am to take this picture.  He told me that there was one that was a better one, but they were scooby snacks for the dogs.  They ate every one that they were able to get a hold of.

6 comments:

Ann@A Sentimental Life said...

Gross! None here in Collinsville yet, but I hear at home in Charleston they have arrived full force!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I've never seen a Cicada in person, I guess we don't get them out here. They are interesting looking, but I don't think I could eat one either.

Katie said...

Good doggiest

Peggy said...

Catherine, lucky you! We get the yearly ones that are big and green and ugly here.
Ann, maybe you have been spared the red eyed little monsters. :)

Brian said...
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SouthCoast Guy said...

I've heard of them, but never seen them...and I thought Mayflies were bad!