An invasion of cicadas 17 years old United States

The United States is expected invasion of cicadas: an insect generation designed 17 years ago is out of the earth by the billions to mate, lay eggs and die in a deafening concert.
They are billions and will make a loud noise. Designed 17 years ago, an entire generation of cicadas going out of the ground to mate, lay eggs and die in the eastern United States.

In fact, "the emergence of Brood II (Generation II) began," enthused Monday cicadamania.org website, where fans of cicadas have spotted emerging from soil in North Carolina (southeast) or in New Jersey (east). But this extraordinary phenomenon is expected in all states along the coast to Connecticut (northeast) on the outskirts of New York as Washington, where the peak of the cloud is expected to occur in the second half of May.

The emergence of mass occurring every 17 years per generation is only for "periodic cicadas," the "magicicadas" that exist only in the eastern United States. For example, the Provencal cicada recurs almost every year.

Generations are properly identified and classified by Roman numeral. There are 15, including three recur every 13 years, not 17. So there invasion almost every year a generation, but variable extent.

In a few days, it is the "Generation II" designed 17 years ago, which will emerge from the earth and reproduce in an orgy of several weeks. During these 17 years, the larvae remained buried about 20 cm below the soil surface, feeding on the sap of roots.

A deafening roar

Then, when the soil temperature reaches 17 degrees, "they will moult, rushing on the trees, the males are courting the females, the females lay eggs which turn into larvae," explains entomologist at the University Maryland Michael Raupp.

The larvae fall and enfouieront underground "where they remain to feed for another 17 years," he adds. These black Hemiptera are two to three inches long, have red eyes and translucent wings with orange veins. They do not bite and pose real dangers as any young trees they will pump the sap.

There may be 1,000 to 2,000 per m2, all in a deafening roar of "cymbal" (tymbal), abdominal membrane which striduler male calling his mate. "You can compare it to a rock concert," said Mr. Raupp.

Cicadas room

The majority die. The "adult cicadas are a huge source of food for various animals, especially birds, but also small mammals such as mice," says Andrew Liebhold, entomologist at the Department of Agriculture.

"They have more protein and less fat than steak," says Mr. Raupp, who for his part prefers floods. Unless it goes in the kitchen with a small manual hand signed by the biologist Jenna Jadin, when she was a student at the University of Maryland: eating a cicada is almost eat crab or lobster, writing it, because they are also arthropods.

So after having boiled four or five minutes, why not enjoy the "cicadas Maryland" - 250 grams of cicadas per person - with onions, potatoes and corn, "cicadas Shanghai" with soy sauce, garlic and turnip a "cicada pizza" with basil, olives and onions, or even cookies, these biscuits with nuts optional. It remains for us to wish you good appetite.