Periodical+Cicada

Fig. 1: //M. septendecim// on Hosta, Greenbelt, MD.
 * //Magicicada septendecim//**

Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Anthropoda Class: Insecta Order: Hemiptera Family: Cicadidae Genus: Magicicada Species: //M. septendecim//
 * Taxonomy:**

//Magicicada septendecim// is one of three species of the genus of cicada known as **periodical cicada** or **Pharaoh cicada**, in which the three species that make it up undergo a life cycle spanning 17 years (//M. septendecim//) or 13 years (//M. neotredecim// and //M. tredecim//). All three species are found in the hardwood forests of eastern North America, with //M. septendecim// being the largest and most northern species of the three.[|(1)] Cicadas are distinct from other arthropods in that the infraorder they are classified in, Cicadomorpha, is the largest group within the suborder of Hemiptera known as Auchenorrhyncha (which contains cicadas and "hoppers"), having over 35,000 species. Cicadas are also the loudest insects in the world, loud enough to cause hearing damage in humans!

Winged adults have red eyes and a black dorsal thorax. Their wings are translucent and have orange or red veins. The underside of their abdomen, depending on the species, may be black, orange, or striped with black and orange. Also depending on the species, adults are typically 2.5 to 4 cm from head to closed wingtip; mature females are slightly larger than males.[|(2)] The tymbals (abdomen membranes found among the male cicada's exoskeleton, used to produce its characteristic sound) are uncovered; the head, including the eyes, is also distinctly wider than the front edge of the pronotum (the upper surface of the prothorax--the first segment of the thorax) as well as narrower than the rear edge of the pronotum.[|(3)]
 * Description:**

Males typically form large swarms that sing in a chorus to attract receptive females. The periodical cicada's song is said to resemble someone calling "Pharaoh", hence the nickname "Pharaoh cicada".[|(4)]

Magicicada populations are divided into developmentally synchronized, time isolated groups known as broods. Each brood is composed of around three distributional overlapping (or sympatric) species. Populations of twelve of these broods are of //M. septendecim//, while three broods are of the 13 year cicadas (//M. neotredecim// and //M. tredecim//).[|(5)]
 * Broods:**

The periodical cicada goes through an incomplete life cycle, in which there are three stages: egg, nymph, and adult. Depending on the species, nymphs develop underground for 13 or 17 years. After this time, adults emerge from the ground, climb into the canopy, and within a period of three to four weeks, feed, mate, lays their eggs on twigs, and die.[|(5)] Several weeks later, the first nymphs hatch from the eggs, descend to the forest floor, burry themselves into the soil, and begin the cycle again.[|(5)] While underground, the nymphs feed on root xylem (water and dissolved mineral-carrying tissue) fluids.[|(6)] Fig. 2: Transformation of a periodical cicada mature nymph to an adult
 * Life Cycle:**

Periodical cicadas are among the most abundant of all forest insects, and adults have no natural defenses against predators (ranging from reptiles, birds, and a variety of mammals). This abundance, combined with their incredible synchrony within a region, and lack of natural defenses can result in periodical cicadas being consumed in large numbers when they are most abundant--during emergences, and even results in the decimation of small populations.[|(5)] Yet, predators are unable to consume more than a fraction of cicadas during emergences in populations with greater abundance. These findings support the idea that their mass-emergence is a survival trait correlated to predator satiation, and that their long life cycle evolved alongside their synchrony to escape the increase in predators.[|(5)]
 * Predator Satiation and Survival:**

"Wiki" page created by S. Weinstein 1. Williams, Kathy S., and Chris Simon. "The Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution of Periodical Cicadas." //Annual Review of Entomology// 40.1 (1995): 269-95. Annual Reviews Inc. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.
 * References:**

2. Capinaera, John L. "Periodical Cicadas, //Magicicada// spp. (Hemiptera: Cicadidae)." //Encyclopedia of Entomology//. 2nd ed. Vol. 4. New York: Springer, 2008. 2785-2794. //Google Books//. Google.com. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[|http://books.google.com/books?id=i9ITMiiohVQC&pg=PA2794&dq=Encyclopedia+of+Entomology+periodical+cicada&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qMk5UpiHM5HD4AO4mYDYBA&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Encyclopedia%20of%20Entomology%20periodical%20cicada&f=false]>.

3. Alexander, Richard D., and Thomas E. Moore. //The Evolutionary Relationships of 17-Year and 13-Year Cicadas, and Three New Species (Homoptera, Cicadidae, Magicicada)//. Diss. University of Michigan, 1962. Ann Arbor: Museum of Zoology, 1962. //Entnemdept.ufl.edu//. 9 June 2011. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.

4. Stranahan, Nancy. "Requiem for Wonder: 17 Year Cicadas of the Eastern Forest." //Arc of Appalachia Preserve System//. Arc of Appalachia Preserve System, n.d. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.

5. Koenig, Walter D., and Andrew M. Liebhold. "Effects Of Periodical Cicada Emergences On Abundance And Synchrony Of Avian Populations." //Ecology// 86.7 (2005): 1873-882. //JSTOR//. Ecological Society of America. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.

6. Williams, Kathy S., and Chris Simon. "The Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution of Periodical Cicadas." //Annual Review of Entomology// 40.1 (1995): 269-95. Annual Reviews Inc. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.

Fig. 1: Barnett, Douglas. //17 Year Periodical Cicada//. 2008. Photograph. Fine Art America, Chicago. //Fine Art America//. Fine Art America, 4 Oct. 2008. Web. 13 Sept. 2013. <[]>.
 * Images:**

Fig. 2: Snodgrass Periodical Cicada Transformation. 2006. Electronic image. Retrieved 13 Sept. 2013, from: <[]>.