Cicadas love to land on people. Experts explain why.
Even on an Air Force base tarmac, a cicada landed on the president's neck.
The spectacular emergence of a double brood of cicadas in 2024, with some 1.5 million of the harmless insects emerging per acre in some places, will result in cicadas landing on people's shirts, arms, hair, and...beyond— just as the impressive insects did in 2021. But the bugs have no real interest in people: After 13 or 17 years of munching on roots underground, the periodical broods emerge to hastily mate and lay eggs.
So what's going on? When cicadas emerge, they seek out trees, the places where they often congregate, mate, and ultimately lay eggs on the ends of branches. And to a cicada, trees and people have similarities.
"Cicadas land on people because they strongly resemble trees," explained Eric Day, an entomologist and cicada expert at Virginia Tech. "It's rare to see a cicada on the ground."
SEE ALSO:Bed bug outbreaks are real. Here's what experts want you to know."Insects that utilize trees are strongly attracted to upright dark silhouettes and a human standing on an open area is close enough," added Day. "So cicadas and wood-boring beetles will go right towards any dark upright object."
That's why if you're standing on a flat runway, like President Biden, a cicada may be keen to find you. "You might be the tallest structure out there," mused Day.
"You might be the tallest structure out there."
The latest cicada emergence involves two different periodical broods, which are groups that emerge in 13 or 17 year cycles, that haven't emerged together in over two centuries, since 1803 (Brood XIII and Brood XIX). They're appearing in regions of the Midwest and Southeast, as shown in a map below.
Tweet may have been deleted
Tweet may have been deleted
The sheer number of cicadas that emerge over a short time in spring also likely plays a role in the cicada landings, noted George Hamilton, the chair of the Department of Entomology at Rutgers University. With potentially millions of bugs around, a structure-seeking insect is more likely to find you.
Cicadas are indeed cacophonous as males vigorously vibrate their abdomens to attract mates. But they are no threat to people. And the cicadas' short-lived emergence is a great boon to wildlife.
Related Stories
- Don't buy the 'murder hornet' hype
- The number of species on Earth is uncountable
- Jam out this summer with up to 38% off portable speakers
- The stunning deep sea footage scientists filmed in 2023
- Earth will look wildly different in millions of years. Take a look.
"Birds snatch them up, mammals easily spot them, and insect predators consume their fill," Robert Furey, a behavioral ecologist and entomologist at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology, told Mashable in 2020 when a different brood, Brood IX, emerged. "Every predator with a taste for cicada flesh takes advantage of the easy prey."
"It’s an incredibly amazing biological phenomenon."
Tweet may have been deleted
Though human development and urbanization in some places may slash the number of cicadas in some places (the bugs can't bore through pavement), President Biden can probably attest that the emergences are robust.
"It’s an incredibly amazing biological phenomenon," Day told Mashable.
This story originally published during the emergence of Brood X in 2021 and has been updated.
(责任编辑:新闻中心)
- Elon Musk's AI facility is reportedly operating gas turbines without a permit
- Diem sells off intellectual assets, driving last nail in Facebook's crypto plans
- 下腹剧痛莫轻视 及时就医最关键
- How the CIA destroyed the socialist internet
- Footage of Kim Yo
- Elon Musk's AI facility is reportedly operating gas turbines without a permit
- The new Moto Edge+ has a smoother display and better processor
- South Korean defects to North Korea
- US Democrats skeptical on Trump
- Cicadas love to land on people. Experts explain why.
- Gakpo might have moved too early to Liverpool: Koeman
- S. Korea eases travel advisories for Spain, Tunisia to lowest level
- 宝兴县在学、比、查中推进人大代表工作
-
2016's $400 GPU vs. 2019's $400 GPUs
Something we've been hearing a lot this year is that PC gaming is not in great shape, how there's a ...[详细] -
Nothing's next smartphone might launch in the U.S.
Nothing Phone (1), the first smartphone from OnePlus co-founder Carl Pei's tech startup Nothing, was ...[详细] -
PlayStation VR2: Sony shares the headset's first pictures
It may not be the release date announcement fans were hoping for, but Sony took a step closer to its ...[详细] -
S. Korea eases travel advisories for Spain, Tunisia to lowest level
Incheon Airport Terminal 1 is crowded with passengers on Feb. 14. (Yonhap)The South Korean governmen ...[详细] -
Instagram page of Koo Ho-in (Instagram)Koo Ho-in, the older brother of deceased K-pop star Goo Hara, ...[详细]
-
Why we might not get a stimulus bill even after the election.
Subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts for the full episode.Congress’ proposed next round of coron ...[详细] -
'US won't impose additional sanctions on North Korea'
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un watches the missile test on Thursday, in this photo provided Friday ...[详细] -
Elon Musk's Neuralink could begin human testing in six months
Elon Muskis making promises (he likely can't keep) again.The billionaire, who claimed Tesla's Cybert ...[详细] -
[Online Predators] Deepfake pornography haunts S. Korea
(Getty Images Bank)Song, a 17-year-old high schooler based in Gyeonggi Province, used to be just lik ...[详细] -
Cancelo wanted more playing time at Man City: Guardiola
MANCHESTER:Bayern Munich's deadline day capture of Manchester City full-back Joao Cancelo had fa ...[详细]
- 50 Places to Eat and Drink Before You Die
- 深化合作交流 携手推动两地经济发展
- Atletico draw with Getafe in La Liga
- 营造人居舒适环境 打造绿美城市形象
- CrowdStrike outage is still causing hundreds of flight cancellations daily
- Bloomberg clears debts and restores voting rights of former felons in Florida.
- Meta threatens a shutdown of Facebook and Instagram in Europe