时间:2025-04-03 05:21:02 来源:网络整理编辑:知識
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
Mall builds real2025-04-03 05:19
後繼有人!迷你羅正式簽約曼聯 身披7號加入U12隊2025-04-03 04:42
兒皇夢!萊萬決定今夏離隊 告知經紀人優先赴皇馬2025-04-03 03:59
教育部:2022年舉辦首屆中國青少年足球聯賽2025-04-03 03:51
Olympic security asks female Iranian fan to drop protest sign2025-04-03 03:06
巴黎前瞻:複仇賽季首敗冤家 或為歐冠戰皇馬留力2025-04-03 03:04
英媒 :若收到皇馬巴薩邀請 馬內今夏將離開利物浦2025-04-03 03:03
後繼有人!迷你羅正式簽約曼聯 身披7號加入U12隊2025-04-03 02:55
Photos show the Blue Cut fire blazing a path of destruction in California2025-04-03 02:48
英媒:熱刺若無歐冠資格凱恩將離隊 曼城卷土重來2025-04-03 02:36
What brands need to know about virtual reality2025-04-03 04:57
吉魯4分鍾2球連場雙響 超伊布萊奧成隊內頭號射手2025-04-03 04:49
齊達內C羅要在巴黎再聯袂? 高層:我們隻要哈蘭德2025-04-03 04:40
國足進行虎年首次室外合練 孫繼海增援教練組將隨隊西征2025-04-03 04:35
Snapchat is about to explode in popularity, report says2025-04-03 04:12
王珊珊:女足進步需要腳踏實地 不可能靠熱度來維持2025-04-03 03:28
U23國足或與國家隊同機出征西亞 時隔兩年有望出戰國際比賽2025-04-03 03:23
外媒:西班牙前鋒埃斯波西托即將加盟亞泰 轉會費300萬歐2025-04-03 03:19
One of the most controversial power struggles in media comes to a close2025-04-03 03:15
探訪女足上海集訓地:海鮮管夠 男足能吃到的女足也能吃到2025-04-03 02:52