Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-06-13

The Seventeen-year Locust-Its Habits
and Peculiarities.
We see by the papers from Western Peunsyl-
vania, Eastern and Central Ohio, Wheeling,
and some other parts of Virginia, that those
regions now have visitation of the seventeen
year locust (Cieada Septsmd,cin } This singu-
lar insect is one Of the eight or nine families
or broods found!in our country-each brood COM
Ing to the surface at intervals Of exactly seven
teen years; the greater number coming up out
of the ground on the same day, In the evening,
between sunset and dark. There are few
places-one in Loudon county, Virgipia--where
they appear twice in that time, owing to The fact
that two families overlap; but the two vista
tions always make the exact period of seventeen
years. This circumstance has givin rise to the
popular impression in some places that calling
them seventeen-year locusts ia not correct; and
We hear of the seven year, ten or nine year.
locusts.
But there is no fact better established in ento-
mology than the exact periodicity Of the return
OF these locusts. Records have been kept for
more than o century of the family in Eastern
Pennsylvania, and there are men living who
have seen them in 1900, 1917, 1884 and 1851,
and expect to meet them again in 1863.
LONGEVITY OF THE LOCUST.
1t is not known that any other insect lives 80
| long as this one, but many others live several
years, and observe similar periodcity. Mapy
Of the ephemers flies that appear In such count.
less numbers, and are seen but single dAy up-
on the wing, have lived undir water, In little
cells in the mud, for several years; there feed
ing upon the impurities that Otherwise would
probably make that water unwholesome, and
cause the malaria of mareby districts. The
obafer, or May bug, dark-brown beetle, about
three quarters of an inch long, that fills the at
mosphere sometimes on spring nights, and that
bangs against the sides of your house or win
dows, giving rise TO the saying, 'as blind as a
BEETLE" has lived as larva or grub for years
under ground, and Ia often 80 numerous as ia
be quite destructive to the roots of some of the
grapes, and occasionally injurious 10 the pota.
Itoes. This ia the grub that boys often use ss Q
bait for frcsh-water fishing; the locust ia bet
ter, but boys cannot wait seventeen years
| Many othoI Varieties vUuIu bU mentioned thu
require more than year to 60 through the va
riOus stages of life, though most insects are an
nuals.
THE FOOD OF THE LOCUST.
The locust In its last or winged state appears
to eat nothing. The sllkworm, as worm, is g
gross feeder, but as q butterfly, eating seems
not rule, ia common In insect life. But the
seventeen year locust, when ID first emergel
from the ground, is mass of fatness all the
poultry, many Of the birds, hogs, and even cats
feed upon IL ravenouely.
Farmers who plant their corn late In locust
year, so that the locusta shall come up first, will
not be bothered with the croWe. A lady in
Germantown, Pennsy we'll known nat
uralist-has given an interesting account of the
feeding OF this insect underground. By digging
up pear tree she found great numbers attach.
ed to the roots and living by suction. The
writer of this had large brood hatched from
the eggs lett 10 the trees by those that were
here In 1860, which he kept in the earth in
flower pots for several months, and fed by Civ
ing the roots OF young trees, and always found
them attached by their little beaks, just aB you
see the aphides and many others feeding above
ground.
If this locust is injurious, It must be 10 the
trees while under ground, by exhausting the
cap; and from records kept by come cider
making families 10 Railway, N. j., there ID
reason to believe that the apple crop is good
The first half of their lives, or for eight or mint
years after each appearance, the cider crop hal
been found to be the largest. 1t is certainly
common saying that locust year ls good frui
year.
THE ROMANCE OF THE LOCUST
This insect above ground is hsrmless-it will
neither bite you, sting you nor poison you. /
will eat none of your possessions. At the ut
most Il will but sip little dew from the cup
the skies have filled. If your heart Is In th,
right place-if you contemplate the wonders o
creation as you should-this little locust viii
give you great pleasure, 1t 10 one of the mos
beautiful creatures in the insect world-elegan
as the oriole among birds, or as the rose amonl
flowers. "The red-eyed cicada," has been
theme for poetry in all ages, but the wings o
this locust are its especial beauty: as clear ant
pellucid as water, with o bordering tint of yel
low, beyond the power Of the painter to imi
tate.
l. ITS PECULIARITIKs.
, All who heard them in this neighborhoo
three years ago will remember how vocal th
whole county was with their music. As wisl
; most insects, the males are the only musicians
The "Pharaoh," long drawn ont, OF this locuat
0 is not voice, but is produced by kind O
:. drum, one on each side, just back and unde
u the root of the wing Touch it with the poin
of a pin and the voice ceases.
4 There Is variety of this locust In Brazil
where the noise of single one can be heard
mile. The locusts on Staten Island have bee
heard on the Long Island side of the river,
distance of two miles. As the larger numbe
come up at tho same time, 90 the commence
ment of their singing is simultaneous.
In 1643, during the Millerite delusion, th
sudden pouring forth of the locusts was locke
upon as sign that the "smash-up" Was come
y ood ,naov ~ ba hal avoruD ,vara lnok In IN