17 year cicadas

[Rick]

If you're trying to breed them I doubt it will work. Females lay thier eggs in the branches of live trees and the nymphs drop down into the dirt.

 

[robo mantis]

I know they arn't mating yet. I will probably let them go i'm just trying to observe them because yesterday i was watching how they mate. I will try to let some go after i see them mating. It would be fun to watch them lay eggs so i'll try getting a little tree in there thick enough for eggs. Also does anyone know how long does it take for her to lay eggs after mating.

 

[OGIGA]

Did you collect all those to feed to your mantises? :shock:

 

[robo mantis]

Not all of them.

 

[Morpheus uk]

I love cicads, only ever seen one adult while on a holiday in corfu, even then it was at a top of a tree lol, would be interesting if you can breed them, cant see why not, suppose you could watch were a female lays, then get a tray full of soil and put it out directly below the eggs, though feeding going to be treaky :wink:

 

[robo mantis]

No the nymphs feed off tree roots and they take 17 years to grow to adult so i don't think i'll keep them in a tray. I plan on either after mating or if they do lay eggs i will put the nymphs outside.

 

[OGIGA]

They take 17 years to become adult??? Sounds like something that should be extinct by now...

 

[robo mantis]

yes every 17 years the nymphs emerge in the night then molt then mate then die.

 

[OGIGA]

Do you only seem them once every 17 years or do you see a different generation of them each year?

 

[robo mantis]

The first one every 17 years the same generation comes out. (no other generations). I have heard though that some come out every 13 years. But no this is not an everyday thing.

 

[Rick]

Do you only seem them once every 17 years or do you see a different generation of them each year?

There are many types of cicadas. This is only one kind. There are other species that emerge EVERY year. They occur in alot of places in the US. We have the annual ones here that come out every summer. They look similar but are green.

 

[robo mantis]

same here

 

[Way.Of.The.Mantis]

I heard that cicadas make more noise than Heathrow airport (the largest international airport in the world), the cicadas make a noise of 96db, wheras te aircraft at Heathrow make a noise of just 70db!!

Of course you peeps who live in the US will know better, but apparantly many people move out of a state for a month or two when the cicadas season kicks in, then you have to shovel them literally out of your house..

Good 'ol blighty.

 

[robo mantis]

I like the loud ear piercing noise lol.