Singing Cicadas
The cicada spends many years of its life sleeping; and only two weeks is awake during which it mates and then dies. There are two main kinds cicadas in the United States. One kind spends 17 years as a nymph feeding on tree roots while living below ground, and the other lives underground for 13 years! Then each type, as if on some signal, emerges all at the same time from the ground. They change into adults, lay eggs, and after a few weeks, they die. We don't see the next generation until 13 or 17 years later!
• A generation of 17-year cicadas is expected to emerge all across Pennsylvania in late May of 2008.
• The male cicada makes the loudest sound in the insect world; they have their own built-in sound system. The mating sound of the cicada can be heard almost a mile away! These insect noisemakers rarely ever stop calling for a mate. The noise from large groups of cicadas can often drown out even the noisiest lawnmower.
Listen to some Cicada songs of different species:
Cicadas, often mistaken for locusts, are not known to bite and sting defensively. They do not target and attack humans. If one lands on you, it's only looking for a resting place. The only time a cicada causes harm to people is when they accidentally mistake an arm for a tree branch and attempt to feed.
Cicadas do not enjoy being handled. Both the male and female struggle to fly when touched and handled. The males produce a loud buzzing sound that may startle the handler, but it's only a defensive measure. As cicadas are not known to carry disease, it isn't harmful to handle them. Just remember that cicadas are more delicate than people are and take care not to harm them.
Cicadas love trees. Small, young trees are the most at risk for damage caused by the cicada. This is because the trees provide not only the food source for the cicada, but also a safe and desired place for the female of the species to lay her eggs. If too many cicada use the same tree, physical damage can be seen.
Young trees can be protected, though. Simply covering a young tree with cheesecloth will prevent cicadas from feeding on the tree and laying eggs in the tree. This only needs to be done in the years that a cicada invasion is expected.
Cicadas are considered a delicacy in some societies. Many Asian cultures serve them up for dinner. Native American Indians are also reported to have cicada on the menu, although the reports are from more distant history than present day.
Because cicada are anthropods, it isn't uncommon for people to have allergic reactions to them if they are also allergic to shrimp. It's reported that cicada tastes like crunchy, minty shrimp or pine.
Now...who's hungry? Here's a recipe using cicada as a main ingredient:
Cicada Pizza
Ingredients:
3 cloves garlic, pressed
3tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2tbsp. chopped fresh oregano
2tbsp. chopped fresh basil
2tbsp. chopped fresh Italian parsley
4 cups chopped tomatoes, including juice and seeds
1 1/2 cup coarsely chopped shittake mushrooms
3/4 cup coarsely chopped red onion
3/4 cup kalamata olives, chopped
1 1/2 cups blanched cicadas
1 cup feta cheese
1 cup mozzarella cheese
1 12 inch pizza dough crust, uncooked.
Directions:
1. Heat oil in saute pan over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
2. Add herbs and cook for another minute.
3. Add tomatoes and juice, turn the heat to low, and gently cook, covered, for 10-15 minutes until tomatoes are soft and the liquid has been absorbed and the sauce thickened. Remove from heat.
4. Spread the tomato sauce over the uncooked pizza crust with a wooden spoon.
5. Distribute the rest of the ingredients evenly over the top of the pizza.
6. Place in the oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until top is bubbly and crust is golden brown.
Cicada lovers eat up!
