The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-06-07
Seventeen-Year
 Locust Appear
Scientists Knew They Were Coming-Have Been Here on Time Since 1724

The seventeen-year locust, that pe- culiar species of the genus locust which never fails to put in appear ance every seventeenth year, has again come to life in this states one of it's homes, and can now be seen and heard in the country districts in the western part of Connecticut. The regular appearance of this species of insect is one of the most peculiar manifestations of phenomena in the field of the naturalist and every ad- vantage will be taken by the students of the insect world to further study this strange creature during this in- vasion. Not since 1724 has the sev- enteen year locust failed to make an appearance in this state and, while no doubt it appeared regularly even before that time. that date was the first record that was ever made of its coming.
 The fact that this was the year for their return to life has been known by those interested, but that they are already on hand has been discovered by only a few. Yet the loud ham sects has been heard denoting their presence and they are already enjoy ing the few weeks of life that is their lot.
 The correct name for the seventeen year insect is periodical clcada," not lOCuStS, WuiCH are really pers. They are local to America and the brood covers a, strip of ter ritory reaching from Albany straight through to Richmond and northern North Carolina. It takes in the wes- tern half of this state. all of New middle third of Virginia. The sev- enteen-year locust has been reported regularly in this state every seven teenth year since 1724 and in New Jersey scientific observers have re- corded every emergence since 1775.
 There are two kinds of cicadas.f 1. The two-year cicada, or dog-day har- vest-f1y, is the common black and green ecfcadaS whose "reedy note' sounds through the tree tops during the hottest hours of the hottest days. It requires but two years to .'grow up," and as there are two broods of this insect, one coming forth each summer, we are never without this music. 2. The periodical cicada is brownish in color, with yelloWish legs and wing-veins. The largest are 1 # inches long, with wing-spread of three inches. A form of smaller size and darker colors occurs in the
 The cicada is represented in the United States by two races, one of which takes seventeen years to com plete its life cycle-to mature; the other requires but thirteen years. The slower race lives north of 35 degrees north latitude. the other south of this line. Nobody can distinguish the insects of the two races by exam ming specimens; they look just alike. The longer growing season in the more rapid development. Two big broods come out this month. This year, Brood IT, of the seventeen year race, and Brood XXIII" of the thirteen-year race, appear together. Each is an unusually large brood, covering many states The two will not appear together again until the year 2132. When did they last CO., incide?
 Brood XXIII covers the lower half of the Mississippi valley including on- ly those states that border on the river. The northern limit is the line between Iowa and Missouri. and takes in the lower half of Illinois and Indiana. The western half only of Kentucky and Tennessee is includ- ed.
 About the 18th of May should mark the beginning of the emergence of cicadas of Brood II from the ground where they have been concealed for the past seventeen years. They come with a rush. The parents of this same brood began to emerge on Staten Island on May 15, 1894. The insects may D6 two I6GC DelOW the surface. where mellow soil is as deep as that. Usually they lie between 6 and 12 inches below the surface, each in a smooth-lined cell of hard ened earth. This is the slim, winglass pupa, with great burrowing claws on its front pair of legs. With these tools it digs its way up to the light. Often a chimney of earth pellets, a leaning tower two or three inches high is built, and the pupo climbs to the top of this, and lies there until it feels impelled to break hole through the wall and escape from it. Often no chimneys are made; the pu- pa comes out of a hole in the ground.
 The impulse to climb is the first one; grand rush is made by the now very energetic insect to get to the top of the nearest bush, tree or post Here the old garment of skin is cast off, and the wings are releas- ed and spread out for the first time. The insect reaches full development. The cicadas come out by night Be- tween sunset and midnight, thousands