Category Archives: Cicadas

This female cicada was laying eggs today on the spicebush outside our house. She makes a small slit in the stem, then deposits eggs in the opening. The eggs remain on the twig for a few weeks, then the nymphs … Continue reading →

According to the magicicada.org website, three species are possible in Sewanee: Magicicada tredecim – Underside of abdomen is mostly light orange/caramel. These are the ones that call waaa-oo from the treetops. Magicicada tredecassini – Underside of abdomen usually all black, or with … Continue reading →

Here they are! It is finally hot enough for the cicada choir to crawl out of the soil and shake our senses with their sunlight-made-into-sound, a concentrated celebration of a dozen years of Tennessee’s lush photosynthesis. Early in the morning, … Continue reading →

So far, the thirteen-year cicadas have been much more active in the valley than on the mountain. There are a few buzzing around Hat Rock Rd and Willie Six Rd, but most places in Sewanee have no cicadas. They may … Continue reading →

The cicadas have been underground for thirteen years, feeding on the sap of roots. Now, the concentrated power of all those years of photosynthesis is unleashed in their songs. Their massed buzzing turns into a roar that penetrates buildings and … Continue reading →