【】
Even on an Air Force base tarmac, a cicada landed on the president's neck.
The spectacular emergence of a double brood of cicadas in 2024, with some 1.5 million of the harmless insects emerging per acre in some places, will result in cicadas landing on people's shirts, arms, hair, and...beyond— just as the impressive insects did in 2021. But the bugs have no real interest in people: After 13 or 17 years of munching on roots underground, the periodical broods emerge to hastily mate and lay eggs.
So what's going on? When cicadas emerge, they seek out trees, the places where they often congregate, mate, and ultimately lay eggs on the ends of branches. And to a cicada, trees and people have similarities.
"Cicadas land on people because they strongly resemble trees," explained Eric Day, an entomologist and cicada expert at Virginia Tech. "It's rare to see a cicada on the ground."
SEE ALSO:Bed bug outbreaks are real. Here's what experts want you to know."Insects that utilize trees are strongly attracted to upright dark silhouettes and a human standing on an open area is close enough," added Day. "So cicadas and wood-boring beetles will go right towards any dark upright object."
That's why if you're standing on a flat runway, like President Biden, a cicada may be keen to find you. "You might be the tallest structure out there," mused Day.
"You might be the tallest structure out there."
The latest cicada emergence involves two different periodical broods, which are groups that emerge in 13 or 17 year cycles, that haven't emerged together in over two centuries, since 1803 (Brood XIII and Brood XIX). They're appearing in regions of the Midwest and Southeast, as shown in a map below.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
The sheer number of cicadas that emerge over a short time in spring also likely plays a role in the cicada landings, noted George Hamilton, the chair of the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University. With potentially millions of bugs around, a structure-seeking insect is more likely to find you.
Cicadas are indeed cacophonous as males vigorously vibrate their abdomens to attract mates. But they are no threat to people. And the cicadas' short-lived emergence is a great boon to wildlife.
Related Stories
- Don't buy the 'murder hornet' hype
- The number of species on Earth is uncountable
- Jam out this summer with up to 38% off portable speakers
- The stunning deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2023
- Earth will look wildly different in millions of years. Take a look.
"Birds snatch them up, mammals easily spot them, and insect predators consume their fill," Robert Furey, a behavioral ecologist and entomologist at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, told Mashable in 2020 when a different brood, Brood IX, emerged. "Every predator with a taste for cicada flesh takes advantage of the easy prey."
"It’s an incredibly amazing biological phenomenon."
Tweet may have been deleted
Though human development and urbanization in some places may slash the number of cicadas in some places (the bugs can't bore through pavement), President Biden can probably attest that the emergences are robust.
"It’s an incredibly amazing biological phenomenon," Day told Mashable.
This story originally published during the emergence of Brood X in 2021 and has been updated.
TopicsAnimals
相关文章
What brands need to know about virtual reality
Virtual reality (VR) is all the rage. Premium publishers like USA Today, the New York Times, and AOL2024-11-21【波盈足球】 梅西妻子經營超市遭襲擊 兇嫌狠開14槍還留威脅紙條 ( 阿根廷,梅西 )
【波盈足球】 梅西妻子經營超市遭襲擊 兇嫌狠開14槍還留威脅紙條 ( 阿根廷,梅西 )www.ty42.com 日期:2023-03-03 00:00:00| 評論(已有364207條評論)2024-11-21- 3.1 今日賽事推薦 英足總杯 伯恩利VS福利特伍德_足球 - 世界杯,歐洲杯,天下體育,足球 ,世界杯,籃球,羽球,乒乓球,球類, 棒球 ( 伯恩,戰績 )www.ty42.com 日期:2023-2024-11-21
西媒撰文質疑FIFA獎項評選忽略皇馬 世界杯>一切冠軍?(fifa21阿根廷套)
西媒撰文質疑FIFA獎項評選忽略皇馬 世界杯>一切冠軍 ?fifa21阿根廷套)_足球 - 世界杯,歐洲杯,天下體育 ,足球,世界杯,籃球 ,羽球,乒乓球,球類, 棒球 ( 皇馬,冠軍 )w2024-11-21Over 82,000 evacuate as Blue Cut fire rapidly spreads in southern California
A rapidly spreading wildfire in southern California's Cajon Pass has grown in hot, dry weather, thre2024-11-21七年之癢?克洛普的利物浦2023年聯賽0勝&足總杯出局 原因如下
七年之癢 ?克洛普的利物浦2023年聯賽0勝&足總杯出局 原因如下_足球 - 世界杯,歐洲杯,天下體育 ,足球 ,世界杯 ,籃球,羽球,乒乓球,球類, 棒球 ( 利物浦,克洛 )www.ty2024-11-21
最新评论