There’s “a fascinating piece in the Economist”:http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=2647052 about the 17-year cicadas that are about to emerge — in “a plague of biblical proportions” — all over the eastern United States, why they (and their 13-year cousins) have prime-numbered life-cycles, how parasites evolve strategies to match, and other cool stuff. Enjoy!
{ 4 comments }
matt 05.07.04 at 9:20 pm
“All over” the eastern US is not quite correct: we are spared from it here in New England.
Just another reason not to visit Washington in the summer.
LeftCoast 05.07.04 at 11:48 pm
Just read an article (which I can’t find for the life of me) that asserts the 13 and 17 year cycles developed to increase survival rates during the last ice age. This assertion, too, is based on a mathematical model. They cited as supporting evidence, if I recall, that the 17 year and 13 year cicadas occupy different zones across the US with 17 year ones inhabiting a band north of the 13 year ones.
Not knowing any details of either study, I suspect that small changes in the underlying assumptions would have a substantial impact on the conclusions.
On the plus side, cicada are suitable for an Atkins diet.
Apologies for the lack of a citation. If I run across it I’ll post it.
Matt 05.09.04 at 7:33 pm
Yeah, here in the DC area the newspapers have been carrying recipes for grilled cicada and shishkabugs.
Stippler 05.13.04 at 2:55 pm
HAMSTER
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