The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1919-04-09
NEXT PLAGUE OF
LOCUSTS' COMES
THIS SUMMER
LAST APPEARANCE OF per
IODICAL CICADA" WAS IN 1902;
NO GREAT DAMAGE.

A visitation from the 17-year locust
can be expected in the central and
southern tier of counties in late May
and early June, entcmoligists of the
experiment station at M. A. G.. at
Lansing predict. The insect spec
ialists are basing their forecast on
records which show that the last
plague" occurred just IL years ago,
in 1902. In scientific circles the so
Gusts" are called the periodical ci-
cada."
"Some damage may be expected"
declared Don G. Whelan of the en-
ttomoligical staff at the college, "but
there need be no great alarm. The
i'll reputation enjoyed by the cicada
has its origin more in the minds of
the people than in any vast damage
the insect has wrought"
Records in possession of the ccl-
lege disclose that the heaviest vista
tions of the locust occurred in 1902
in Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Genesee.
Kalamazoo, Oakland. st. Joseph and
Washtenaw, with smaller swarms in
Hillsdale. Ionia, Lake, Lenawee, Mis-
saukee, Newaygc, Saginaw, St. Clair
and Van Buren, counties. 1t was ex-
pected also that considerable swarms
would infest Barry. Eaton, Gratiot.
Jackson. livingston, Monroe and
Wayne counties. but the locusts for
some reason, failed to keep their APP
pointments.
The periodical cicadas. the ento-
mologists say. of while oftimes harm
full is at the same time one of the
most interesting of natural phenome-
ma. After living underground for 16
wears. the creature comes to the sur
face for p few weeks in the spring
Of every 18th year. It's size is about
that of an adult cricket-the black
fellows that can be foun- everywhere
during the summer months.
This is the 18th year, and if nature
holds to her customs of the past, the
from the ground during the last week
in May. or the first week in June.
When it first makes its appearance,
it is without wings and is called a
pupa. This pupa, upon coming to
the surface, guided by some unerring
instinct. scrambles towards the nea,-
est shrub or tree and begins forthwith
to climb and fasten itself to twig or
branch. About a half hour after
arriving at its mornings. it's skin
splits open along the back and out
Of this "shellv crawls a new creature,
with wings.
Under normal conditions the in
sects remain in evidence for period
of two months or so, and as rule
their disappearance is almost as sud-
den as their appearance. Most of
them usually make their way back
into the ground by the end of July.
Persons who have studied the To-
Gust say that as rule it eats little or
nothing during its six weeks visit.
Such damage as is done is wrought
by the adult female, which in laying
its eggs. splits the back of the young
twigs of trees and bushes. If the
swarm happens to be forest or wood
lot of oak or other similar trees, the
damage is usually relatively slight,
but if the habitat of the lccusts hap
pens to be young apple orchard,
the harm done is often quite extensive.
1t is sometimes recommended, when
locusts are expected, that the usual
pruning operations during the win
ter and spring be deferred in order
to offer a larger twig growth and
to distribute by this means the dam
age over larger surface.
Considerable damage is sometimes
brought on, too, by the open wounds,
through which harmful insects and
diseases sometimes gain entrance to
the trees.
The eggs usually are laid in the
trees about two weeks after the in
sects first come out of the GROUND,
and the young hatch out towards the
end of July. The larva from these
eggs run about the limbs bit, like
so many small ants, and then DELHI
erately loosen their holds and fall to
the ground, into which they burrow
for their 16 years subterranean life.
In the ground the larva live on sap
sucked from roots. but in spite of
their large numbers, it is said that ex-
cept in unusual instances, they do
very little damage.
One of the most striking character
istics of the cicada is its peculiar
note or song. Where there are large
numbers of the insects, this is said
to be so noisy at times as to drown
out even cowbells.