Milford chronicle. [volume] (Milford, Del.) 1878-1974, 1902-05-30
Delaware College Nature Study
Work.


THE sEvENTEEly-YEAR LOCUST,
There is probably no insect that
las attracted more general interest
md attention in this country than
las the Periodical Cicada, or the
50 called Seventeen Year Locust.
rhe earliest settlers doubtless as
sociate its vast noisy swar1ns with
the devastating invasion of the
Locust of the East
Hence the POPULAR name 'locust"
which has been used so long that
it is doubtful if il will ever be dis
carded for the proper name-Peri-
odical Cicada. For the Seventeen
year Locust is really not a locust
at all. That name belong rightly
to thesgrasshoDper. It is a Cicada,
and belongs to quite a different
order-that of the bugs-from the
locust. The real locusts or grass
hoppers have raouthparts made
for biting, while the Cicada's
mouthparts are grown together in
the form of a tube for sucking the
juices of plants.
This insect, which makes its |
appearance once in seventeen years
is Of interest to residents of this
state owing to the damage which
it is supposed to do. Our first in
timation that the locusts have come
is the cast off skins which we find
clinging to tree and shrubs. Our
next care should be to examine
the base of the tree and see if we
cannot find the mounds or holes
from which the Cicada' S emerged
after their seventeen years hermi-
ltage. They are often two inches
liz height and therefore easily per
ceptible.
On its emergence from the cast
skin the Cicada is long and white,
except for two black, spots on its
back, which develop until they
form long CLASSY wings, more than
covering his body. These he keeps
huttering so that they will harden
soon. In one night the Cicada
E undergoes a great change His
i body is now black. with facings OF
3 orange, and his wings are long and
4 hard. "Heis no longer a hermit
So happy is he that he feels as il
3 he must burst if he does not fine
3 some means for expressing hi:
Il happiness in this beautiful worlC
q of sunshine" SO he breaks int,
g song. I cannot be called swee
% music, but it is very wonderful
q On his body just behind each 0
g his wings is drum, made of man,
% folds Of membrane A pair 0
Il stout muscles throw these mem
q brance into vibration and the nois
s he makes is indeed great one
Il Only the male Cicadas sing ant
s the principal object of the singin
Is is the fascinating Of the female.
The damage is all done by til
female With her long ovipositc
d she cuts Sits in twig and place
81 in them two rows of eggs, afts
n. which her worI. is done and sh
ia dies. Six weeks later these ege
develop into pale lively little crei
tnres. which, to the naked ey
- look like tiny white ants. Under
* tense, however, they are vel
W very difference. Their front le,
ia are shaped liked Holsters claws al
instead of jaws like ants the
nd have long beaks, hollow like tube
Isl After running around a little th'
=, drop off on the ground. and il
we mediately commerce to burrc
:. down from any small crevices al
% soon form cells, which will be the
a m. homes for seventeen long yea
The cells are often found at
5599Ft depth of two and sometime
ord much as six feet below the surfaC
ord Their existence underground seel
at to be very uneventful. They fl
2 s. what food is necessary for then
the roots of trees, but manage
18th absorb sufficient in the sixte
ssyd years to last them during tn
a, Al sojourn in the upper air, as duri
age the winged stage they eat nothil
9Se% They grow slowly undergrou
melting only six times in /
seventeen years. what may
the meditations of the little herr
. cicada during all these years
cannot even imagine, but he 81
A1s emily becomes possed with des
rth to climb upwards and begins d
ASS. ging his way toward the ligt
Is He is now industrious as he v
2 y shiftless before and it takes i
9 90 only few weeks to climb OIL
2 g 1t sometimes happens that
9% comes out before his wings
2s ready to grow. Then he era
: Is under logs etc. Or builds
% q mounds on the surface of
6 ground from which he later en-
is2 ges and climbs some tree to VIII
10 he may cling while he bursts
AIMS of the last larval skin and col
4 up. forth as a winged insect.
orth. CECIL BLANDFoRD SANDER
Pm.