时间:2024-09-20 07:55:45 来源:网络整理编辑:百科
Even on an Air Force base tarmac, a cicada landed on the president's neck. The spectacular emergence
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.
"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.
TopicsAnimals
One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close2024-09-20 07:12
梅西歸隊眾生相 !內馬爾最菜開玩笑避免尷尬 ,姆巴佩難做人提前溜(梅西的訓練計劃)2024-09-20 07:10
卡塔爾世界杯的球星開什麽車?C羅開布加迪 ,梅西選奧迪Q7(c羅為什麽比不過梅西)2024-09-20 07:10
意媒深度剖析 !同樣是世界級巨星,為何C羅比梅西更受歡迎(c羅就是比梅西強)2024-09-20 06:56
PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC2024-09-20 06:39
76人首敗!哈登22+5+9+3恩比德21+8+3仍輸球,大帝 :裁判任務完成(哈登拿過幾個總冠軍)2024-09-20 06:11
當我們為梅西和C羅爭吵時 ,都在吵些什麽?(c羅和梅西誰更受歡迎)2024-09-20 05:55
球王歸來!梅西已返回大巴黎訓練中心,麵色紅潤 ,隨身攜帶保溫杯(梅西國家隊訓練圖片)2024-09-20 05:44
Sound the alarms: Simone Biles finally met Zac Efron2024-09-20 05:31
在世界杯上,梅西顯然比C羅幸運 ?誰讓C羅隻是技術好點的前鋒(梅西為什麽比c羅受歡迎)2024-09-20 05:16
PlayStation Now game streaming is coming to PC2024-09-20 07:34
詹姆斯狂砍37+8+6三球空砍26分 湖人勝黃蜂豪取四連勝(詹姆斯2018凱爾特人搶七)2024-09-20 07:19
央視透露C羅加盟沙特聯賽原因 !詹俊說了實話 :他為錢放棄了別的(c羅加盟尤文)2024-09-20 06:42
搞笑!哈登命中絕命三分 ,現場耗時間轉球,推開上搶的恩比德(哈登6)2024-09-20 06:26
Watch MTV's Video Music Awards 2016 livestream2024-09-20 06:24
錫安傷退 !恩比德哈登合砍69分,76人勝黃蜂 ,馬克西低迷,CJ26分(哈登數據統計)2024-09-20 06:05
近5場詹姆斯37+9+6下,湖人好事成雙,基本不會成為第二個籃網了(2月13號湖人灰熊)2024-09-20 06:04
大巴黎列隊歡迎梅西歸隊 大羅羅馬裏奧缺席貝利葬禮被罵(梅西國家隊訓練時間)2024-09-20 05:58
The U.S. will no longer have the final say on internet domain names2024-09-20 05:31
NBA常規賽賽報:詹姆斯33+7+9布萊恩特準絕殺 湖人險勝奇才 杜蘭特43+6歐文38+6 籃網19分逆轉活塞(詹姆斯準三雙 湖人惜敗熱火)2024-09-20 05:12