FPDDC Cicada Adventures 2024's Journal

On May 22, 115 visitors enjoyed cicada craft activities and guided hikes at Fullersburg Woods Forest Preserve. During our cicada hikes we explored species ID and observed M. cassinii, M. septendecim, and M. septemdecula. The most interesting find was a pharaoh cicada missing its abdomen and exhibiting the fruiting body of a fungus, Massospora cicadina.

Cicadas with Massospora have been portrayed in the media as 'zombie cicadas', which is half-true. Massospora infects 17-year and 13-year periodical cicadas, typically while they are in their nymph stage. The fungal spores are spread into the soil and will lie dormant in cicadas until they emerge from underground. However, once emerged, Massospora releases psilocybin into the cicada's body which alters the cicada's behavior - causing it to become increasingly reproductively active, despite missing a third of it's body and all reproductive organs. These hyper... 'active' individuals flick their wings to attract other cicadas to them and attempt mating with the other cicadas to spread the spores. As cicadas begin to die off, post-mating, their dead carcasses fall to the ground and the spores are returned to the soil where they can find a new cicada nymph over the next 17 or 13 years.

NOTE: This is a totally natural part of nature. Cicadas infected with Massospora are not a risk to human health either.

This is an incredibly uncommon occurrence in our state. Before 2024, only two iNaturalist records of Massospora cicadina were documented in Illinois. With the discovery of Massospora in DuPage County, there is great interest in discovering what other forest preserves the fungus may be present at. Therefore, the taxa of Massospora cicadina has been added to this project to help scientists track its presence. If you find a cicada with a Massospora infection, document it with the identification of Massospora (cicadina) and in the notes, describe the species of cicada.

As of 5/13, magicicada began emerging in DuPage County! The earliest emerging periodical cicadas were found in areas with exposed soil that was warmed by the sun at a higher rate than shaded soil. Many disturbed habitats, such as those in restoration sites at Lyman Woods, Willowbrook and Fullersburg Woods, had emerging cicadas as soon as 5/16.

Remember to snap pictures of cicada's undersides (abdomen) to help scientists ID cicadas down to species. Also, try recording some audio. If more than one species is present at a forest preserve, make multiple recordings to that both species can be documented!

Have fun out there, enjoy this blink-of-an-eye phenomenon, and happy cicada hunting.

The 2024 Magicicada emergence will comprise of three species of 17-year cicada in the forest preserves. Though the nymphs are rather indistinguishable, the adults may be identified down to species.

Differences in visual appearances are subtle. Pharaoh Cicada has orange and black stripes on its abdomen while Cassin's Cicada has a nearly all-black abdomen (but may show slight orange edging on the abdomen sections). Cassin's Cicada is smaller than the Pharoah Cicada. Decula is about the same size as Cassin's Cicada but the abdomen is black with orange stripes. The big difference between Decula and Cassin's Cicadas is the female Decula's ovipositor will be exposed while the female Cassin's ovipositor will be hidden away.

This video by Cicada Mania does a great job of breaking down species differences:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g4Q065vFFdI

The best way to identify what cicadas are around is to listen to their songs. 4-5 days after emergence, males cicadas begin singing and each of the three species have a unique song!

Cassin's Cicada has a song that starts with a series of clicks followed by a rising buzz.
"tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-buzzzzzzzzzzzzz"

Decula Cicada has a song that is a series of rhytmic, raspy buzzes that become more rapid in pace before transitioning into lisp sounds.
"buzzzz-buzzz-buzz-buz-buz-buz-biz-biz-bis-bisp-bisp-bisp-bisp"

Pharaoh Cicada has low droning call that is finished with a downward drop in tone.
"waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay-ooooh, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay-ooooh"

This website has some great recordings of Magicicada to help you learn their songs a little better.
https://songsofinsects.com/cicadas/periodical-cicada

Using the record audio option on iNaturalist will allow you to add recordings of cicada songs to the project. This will be valuable in helping our ecologists to know the species compositions across forest preserves.

With great anticipation we wait for the mass emergence of Magicicada in 2024. On April 23 the first Magicicada observations of the project were made at Fullersburg Woods and Maple Grove forest preserves. Nymphs were found just below the surface of the ground; underneath rocks, logs and other items embedded more than one inch, there are cicada tunnels that terminate just below. Some of these tunnels have nymphs, a little sluggish, poking out their heads. At this time, it is difficult to distinguish the species of the nymphs.

Observations of nymphs made on April 29 at Blackwell forest preserve tell a different story. As logs were turned over, nymphs quickly scuttled back into their tunnels. Those poking out retreated backwards down the hole. This increased reaction speed and movement is a sign that emergence will soon be here.