GREAT LAKES CICADA PAGE
FINDLEY STATE PARK
2016 BROOD V
SUMMARY
2016 BROOD V ACCOUNT
AN ACCOUNT SUMMARY FOR MAGICICADA BROOD V FOR 2016:
LOCATION: Findley State Park, located 3 miles south of Wellington, Lorain County, Ohio.
MONDAY, MAY 23rd: The emergence has finally begun at the Findley State Park after a prolonged cold spring. The first wave is light and spotty throughout the park but there is a fair amount of cast skins, eclosure in progress, nymphs moving about, and teneral adults of M. septendecim. There also appears to be a lot more males than females at this time. There are plenty of mud chimneys and exit holes, especially under conifer-type tree canopies. The overnight low for the area was approximately 42 degrees Fahrenheit but climbed to 76 degrees by the early afternoon.
TUESDAY, MAY 24th: Another light spotty emergence where I observed birds preying on cicadas near the picnic areas. When I arrived today at 0900 hours, the temperature was approximately 67 degrees and climbed to 79 degrees by 1300 hours.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 25th: Heavier overnight emergence on this date and now throughout the entire park. I'm seeing an equal amount of females to males. "Honeydew" lands on me while inspecting the trees. A warm front has increased the daily temperatures. By 0820 hours, temperatures were approximately 69 degrees and increased to 81 degrees by 1120.
FRIDAY, MAY 27th: A larger emergence from overnight has numerous exuviae covering the trunks and branches of many trees with plenty of emerging nymphs and teneral adults occupying the grasses. The dropping of "honeydew" is more frequent and some adults clutter the paved parking areas and drinking fountains. Some adults have become stronger fliers and one male emitted a loud "squawk" when I picked him up. While standing under the trees, several adults kept landing on me and I had to keep moving about after a nymph began climbing up my body and made it as high as my chest! I also locate the first specimens of M. cassini. There are many individuals with malformed wings and I detect the first odor of decay under some trees by the picnic areas. It is a clear warm day where the temperature was approximately 69 degrees at 0720 hours which again increased to 82 degrees by 1230.
SUNDAY, MAY 29th: Warm partly cloudy day after an evening of storms. The emergence has become heavy with cast skins and teneral adults weighing down the smaller branches of numerous trees. It is near impossible to walk in the grasses due to the amount of nymphs and adults either wandering or resting there. Piles of discarded exuviae and dead adults from faulty eclosure lie at the bases of trees. It has also become hard to drive down the paved trails and picnic areas without swerving to avoid resting adults. While standing next to a tree, a cicada somewhere above me decides to shower me with excreted "honeydew." Chorusing has also begun during the morning hours shortly after 0900. The temperature was a mild 73 degrees when I arrived at 0730 hours and only increased to 76 degrees 3 hours later.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 1st: Another warm day but with a cool start. At 0730 hours, temperatures were 63 degrees but rose to 77 degrees by 1030. Emergences were heavy over the last several days and the piles of discarded exuviae and failed adults have greatly increased at the bases of many trees. Tree trunks were heavily covered with them too. Some individuals even made it inside the public restrooms. The chorusing was already started on my arrival where I detected all 3 species. Their volume increased with the rise of the temperature. I also found the first signs of Massospora cicadina fungal infections in several areas of the park.
THURSDAY, JUNE 9th: Cool, partly cloudy day. Temperatures during my visit remained in the mid-sixties. Despite the cooler weather, the chorusing centers were strong and ear piercing at times. Only one new eclosure was observed while the ground near the trees emitted a decaying odor due to the piles of the dead. The expired adults are found almost everywhere along with widespread fungal infections. I'm locating numerous mating couples but only a few ovipositing females. I did locate some freshly made nests. Adults kept landing on me repeatedly too.
SUNDAY, JUNE 12th: Cool windy morning in the mid-sixties. There are no new emerging adults while the chorusing remains continuous and strong. Many branches have been inflicted with scars from nest building and the first signs of flagging are observed on smaller trees and saplings.
TUESDAY, JUNE 14th: Cloudy day with temperatures at approximately 63 degrees at 0800 and rising to 70 degrees by 1130. Chorusing is consistent but starting to diminish. Fungal infections are widespread, mating and more flagging damage is observed. The dead are becoming more numerous on the walking trails and paved roads.
WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22nd: Cloudy day in the low eighties. The choruses and overall population has diminished. The odor of decay from cicada carcasses is repugnant. Females remain busy with their ovipositing and more flagging damage is very visible.
SUNDAY, JUNE 26th: Hot hazy day in the nineties. Choruses have become faint with occasional outbursts of M. cassini calls. Their carcasses litter the ground and flagging damage is widespread. Adults are not as plentiful to find.
SATURDAY, JULY 2nd: Cloudy and mild with temperatures in the low seventies. I only located a handful of living adults today but their dead are found almost everywhere. There are faint, weak choruses deep within the woods during the brief intervals of light that occasionally peaks through the cloud cover. Isolated M. cassini calls are heard every so often. Flagging damage is abundant throughout the park. I also locate a half dozen Neotibicen exuviae but no singing is heard from any annual species yet.
WEDNESDAY, JULY 6th: Partly cloudy hot day in the upper eighties. No living adults are seen and there are no choruses. Only a few isolated M. cassini and M. septendecim are heard occasionally. Within a week, all of them will be gone. There are countless dead littering the ground, walkways, and under trees. Annual cicadas (N. tibicen tibicen) are singing to take their place as the sounds of summer.
SATURDAY, JULY 9th: Partly cloudy mild day in the seventies. Still no living Magicicadas are seen and their singing has ceased completely. The annual cicadas are filling the void with their own songs. I bid farewell this year to the Brood V cicadas of Findley State Park.