Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-04
SEVENTEEN-YEAR LOCUSTS.
Some Interesting Facts About
This Remarkable and Amaz-
ing Insect.

ing Insect.
In view of the appearance of the
seventeen-year locust in certain Sec
tions of Maryland and Virginia the
following from st. Louis Post Dis
patch about this remarkable insect
will be read with interest:
'Locust" is an erroneous name for
this remarkable insect. 1t should be
termed the periodical cicada." 1t
has the longest life period of ally
known insect, aud, according to d..
Il. Marlatt, one of the government
entomologists, who has made special
study of its habits, it is undoubtedly
the most anomalous and interesting
of American insects. The vast army.
numbering countless billions, which
is expected to reappear this year, has
been followed in its ravages from the
year 1715, since when it has never
failed to reappear in the last week of
May at regular intervals of seventeen
years. Wherever it appeared in 1885,
the year of its last outbreak, it is
practically sure to reappear this year.
In the year 1885 these myriads of
insects entered the earth and since
then they have not beheld the light
of day. In June of that year Mother
Cicada industriously planted her
hundreds of eggs In the green twigs
of the trees, while Father Cicada sat
close 10y and merrily sang to her his
ditty of love. A few weeks later the
ant-like baby cicadas escaped from
their shells, fell lightly to the ground
and quickly burrowed out of sight,
forming for themselves little subter-
ranean chambers or cells adjoining
the sappy rootlets of the parent tree,
in the fresh juices of whose twigs the
producing eggs had been deposited
for nourishment.
In this underground cell, at first
the size of a small grain of bird shot,
but gradually growing with its occu-
pant, each cicada has remained, with
in two feet of the surface, through
winter and summer, buried from
light, air and sun, and protected in
manner from cold and frost. 1t
has lived thus in absolute solitude.
knowing only its moist earthen cham
Der, separated from its brothers and
sisters, rarely changing its position,
save as some accident to the noarish-
ing rootlet has necessitated its seek.
ing another. In this sepulchral dark.
ness and solitude it is still patiently
waiting to emerge from the ground,
grow wings and enjoy a few weeks
only of the society of It's fellows, the
warmth and brightness of the sun.
the fragrant summer air.
Just before coming to the surface
this wingless, underground cicada
has been known in many localities to
erect odd little mud chimneys, pro-
jecting sometimes six or eight inches
above the surface. These are con-
structed of soft pellets of clay brought
from below and pressed firmly into
place. Why the cicada builds them
prior to his advent into the upper
world no entomoiogist can logically
explain.
If you desire to see one of the most
remarkable phenomena of nature keep
your eyes open during the evenings.
Select patch of open soil, prefer
ably under an old orchard tree. and
there institute close watch just as
the sun is setting. AS soon as that
great orb of day shall have hidden
its face the brown, wingless insects
will emerge from their holes with a
rush and scramble for the nearest
tree, bush. weed, pole, stump or fence.
In some localities the ground will be
literally alive and hidden. Bysp.
m. the bulk of the army will have
risen. A few stragglers will con tinue
until midnight. All fasten them
selves to some selected point, prefer
ably leaf or twig, and within about
an hour after settling each will be
seen on close scrutiny to neatly split
his parchment-like shell down the
back, from collar to waistband. Forth
with will be seen gradually emerging
from this aperture what appears to
be a creamy white worm with pink
eyes and heavy black eyebrows. This
creature will extract himself by arch
ing his back and finally by hanging
head downward until grasping the
nearby leaf or branch. At either
side of his neck will be seen two iin-
like adornments so small that they
might be mistaken for ears. Upon