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Nashville 13 year Cicadas
May 22, 2011 6:33 PM
        Apparently this is the year the XIX brood of cicadas return to middle Tennessee. They emerge from the ground, attach themselves any place they can, molt out of the old skins, harden and grow a little for about 4 days, then begin their buzzing in an attempt to attract a mate. They will continue to buzz all day every day until about July. And man are they loud! I can drive down the highway at 60mph with the windows rolled up and still hear them! Billions of them. Then they lay their eggs in tree branch slits and the ground and there they will stay for another 13 years.
        They are like the most useless insect ever. They are only out for about 2 months, just long enough to mate, then they're gone again for many years. Apparently all the other animals flourish while their out, though, feasting on them the whole time. You can even eat the shells! High in protein and they supposedly taste like almonds.
        There are different broods for different regions of the US. The ones in the north tend to be on a 17 year cycle. And I do remember when I was a little kid picking the shells off my grandmothers trees back when she lived on her farm. So PA should be due for a wave soon.

                                               

       

DATE: May 23, 2011 01:17:27 AM     NAME: JueA
COMMENT: random fact from NPR-- animals that stay inactive for years tend to do this in prime number cycles. thus the 13 and 17 numbers :) i think it is evolutionally advantageous.

DATE: May 25, 2011 12:12:35 PM     NAME: KM
COMMENT: Man, I really wanted to be reading out on the porch but their chit-chattering is too noisy. I`d have the ringing in my ear after I`m out on the porch for awhile. And that`s such an interesting fact, Jue! Prime numbers, huh? I wonder why.

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