At 8:20 this evening, Aaron and I heard the year’s first Annual Cicadas for our block in south Oak Park, Illinois!
It was this song: http://bit.ly/A08Wu (link to a WAV file). However, this evening’s cicada was singing much slower than the recording, as would be expected when the temperature is mid 70s (which is cool for a cicada). As has happened most years, we heard the first cicada songs in our neighborhood near sunset. Later in the summer Annual Cicadas will be singing from late morning through early evening, then quit as the sun sets.
The scientific name of this species is Tibicen pruinosus. (Sorry, cicada species don’t have common names, the way birds do.) Go to this University of Michigan website to see and hear examples of Tibicen pruinosus:
http://insects.ummz.lsa.umich.edu/fauna/michigan_cicadas/Michigan/Index.html#Tibicen_pruinosus
Now we’ll look for our first live nymphs, first shed nymphal skins, and first live adults of the year. When we find them, we’ll post photos here.
You can read about our earlier adventures with cicadas at our Kids’ Cicada Hunt website (go here to see it).
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As I was writing this post, my friend Joel, who lives about three or four blocks southeast of us, sent me a Facebook comment. He also heard his first Annual Cicadas this evening, at almost the exact same time we did!
We haven’t heard any yet, but we’re listening! All the great info you can find on cicadas on your site really piqued our interest in these insects, and we’re more excited than ever to see our first summer cicada!
Just found one too! I thought they were here last year. And dont come back for another 17 years?? I’m Lexington, KY btw
Hi Karen,
Annual Cicadas, like you found, are here every summer. Periodical Cicadas are the kinds that only show up every 13 or 17 years. Here’s a web page about Kentucky cicadas that may help: http://www.ca.uky.edu/ENTOMOLOGY/entfacts/ef446.asp
Eric