May 07, 2004

17-year cicadas

Posted by Chris

There’s a fascinating piece in the Economist 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!

Posted on May 7, 2004 06:00 PM UTC
Comments

“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.

Posted by matt · May 7, 2004 09:20 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.

Posted by LeftCoast · May 7, 2004 11:48 PM

Yeah, here in the DC area the newspapers have been carrying recipes for grilled cicada and shishkabugs.

Posted by Matt · May 9, 2004 07:33 PM

HAMSTER

Posted by Stippler · May 13, 2004 02:55 PM
Followups

→ Fun with Maths.
Excerpt: Why do cicadas have prime-number (13- or 17-year) life-cycles? Glenn Webb, a mathematician at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, has...Read more at HogBlog
→ Brood X.
Excerpt: I keep a wary eye on the ground,waiting for the first cicadas to arrive. Brood X, the 17-year invasion of cicadas, will arrive any day. Tonight, taking advantage of the warm weather and lack of insects, we had dinner at an outdoor café in Woodle...Read more at Frolic of My Own
→ I Love L.A., Reason #27: No Cicadas.
Excerpt: In Los Angeles, we have absolutely no cicadas. We will not be affected by this seventeen-year swarm of cicadas, nor will I have to worry about them, except when I am in New York and Toronto on vacation, but until...Read more at BoiFromTroy

This discussion has been closed. Thanks to everyone who contributed.