Saturday, August 6, 2022

Dog Day Cicada (Searsport, Maine)

Neotibicen canicularis

We have been hearing the buzzing of cicadas for the last few days. I remember hearing somewhere (when I was young) that they only sing when it was at least 80° F where they were sitting, but I don’t think that is true. I do know that the frequency of the buzz is affected by temperature…. I never actually saw one of these strange looking creatures until I was an adult.

The Dog Day Cicada gets its name from the time of the year when you are most likely to hear them singing. The adults start to sing in the “dog days” of summer, when temperatures are higher here in the Northeastern US. This is also the time of the year when the Dog Star (Sirius) is visible in our night skies.

They are not a periodical cicada (whose eyes are red) but emerge more frequently (or at least not in a simultaneous “brood” emergence as is true for the 17 year species). There is still debate on their actual life cycle, but I do know that we hear them every summer here.

There are over 160 species of cicada in the United States, but it is very hard to see them. The adults are usually up in the trees and blend in extremely well.